Firework
by Tametiger
Summary: Edward left her, Jacob left her and Bella reverts back to being a mess. Charlie knows he needs to do something to snap her out of it. So he sends her to live in Mystic Falls, can a close group of friends help Bella mend her shattered heart? What about a dark, saracastic vampire?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N :- Hey! So this is gonna be the longest a/n I've ever written so bear with me and I promise I don't normally ramble this much.**

**I just found Vampire Diaries and I love it, after I'd watched my first few episodes the ideas started coming fast and furious so here you have one of them. It's not really set in any of the series, I've kind of just mashed them all together to work for me, it's during NM for Twilight but I've played with timelines and ages and things, so if you find that you're not happy with that kind of thing then this might not be the story for you.**

**This story will be rated M for language, violence and if you've ever read any of my other stories you'll know that I like the smut too ;)**

**I want to thank my wonderful and very quick beta ArabellaWhitlock! She's amazing! And any mistakes are entirely my own. **

**Anyway, so here's the story, I really hope you enjoy it :)**

**I own nothing from either Twilight or Vampire Diaries - wish I owned Damon though - drool.**

Firework

Empty

**'Do you ever feel like a plastic bag,**

**Drifting through the wind, **

**Wanting to start again?**

**Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin,**

**Like a house of cards,**

**One blow from caving in?**

**Do you ever feel already buried deep?**

**Six feet under, screams but no-one **

**Seems to hear a thing?**

**Did you know that there's,**

**Still a chance for you?'**

I pulled my earphones out as the seat belt sign above me flashed and sighed. That first bit of the song I got, I understood it with every fibre of my being, but that last sentence? That wasn't right. Or it wasn't for me. There wasn't a chance for me. Not anymore.

He'd broken me, broken me down into little pieces and I couldn't put them back together. Cause of him I'd lost everything, no chance at getting it back. Not now. Not now I was on my way to Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Charlie had agreed with me, under duress, when this all started, when he first left, that I didn't have to go to Florida to live with Renne. She wouldn't have wanted me anyway. We both knew that. So I'd tried to start living again, to make Charlie stop worrying about me. And for a while it had worked, Jake had been there for me and it helped having a friend. Someone I could rely on again.

But then Jake just vanished from my life too. Didn't want anything to do with me anymore. He stopped calling me, wouldn't return my calls, wouldn't see me. Like everyone else, he abandoned me. And that's when I realised, I wasn't worth it. Didn't deserve friends.

I shut down again. And this time my dad stuck to his guns. He didn't send me to Florida; as predicted Renne hadn't wanted me messing up her newly married life. Instead he's sending me to live with my uncle, Charlie's half brother, Alaric. I'd only met the guy once and here I was on a plane to go live with him. Shunted from one end of the country to the other like an undeliverable piece of mail that no-body wanted, that no-one knew quite what to do with.

~0~

It took almost seven hours, seven very long and very boring hours to reach Virginia where uncle Alaric was supposed to be meeting me. I wasn't holding out much hope though, I was guessing he wanted me staying with him as much as I wanted to be there.

I grabbed my one small bag and headed for the arrivals lounge. All my clothes were thick and heavy, winter clothes for Forks, so Charlie despite my protests had given me a wad of cash to buy new ones with. Add that to the money that I'd saved from working at Newton's and I thought that I'd probably have enough for some clothes and a mode of transport while here. Maybe I'd get a bike instead of a car? I'd always enjoyed riding, and maybe I'd even see _him_ again, even if just in my warped head?

I trudged through the airport looking for a man I barely remembered, who didn't know what I looked like either. I'd met him once when I was like seven or something and I was pretty sure that I'd changed since then.

Maybe I should have thought ahead and asked where he was gonna meet me? _Or maybe he's not gonna come at all. Accept it no-one who knows you wants you around, so why should some stranger? _A little nagging voice in my head exposed my own insecurities to me.

That's when I noticed a man stood very awkwardly just inside the arrivals lounge holding a sign with 'BELLA' printed on it neatly. Guess this was it then. I ignored the relief I felt just as I'd ignored the voice in my head that sounded suspiciously like my own.

I walked shyly over to the man, to my uncle. He was tall, must have been at least six foot, and he was pretty good looking for an older man. Brown hair that matched mine and Charlie's, along with our deep brown eyes.

The thing that stood out the most though as I approached him was his kind smile. One that said 'I'm glad your here', he must have been one hell of a poker player, cause there was no way he was happy to have a teenage girl forced into his care. One which he'd been told was pretty much catatonic as well.

"Er.. Hi?" I said trying to smile as I arrived in front of him, but really this thing was all a bit too odd for me.

"Bella! Hi!" Alaric grinned at me, but up close I could see the weariness in his smiling eyes as he took in the sight of his new ward in front of him.

"Uncle Alaric." I responded with more of a smile this time, it was forced and it hurt my face to put it there, but I might as well make the best of a bad situation, right?

"Just call me Alaric, or Ric. Whatever. It's been years since I saw you, and look you're all grown up!" He attempted cheerful and light but was missing that by miles. Nice of him to try though.

"Yeah, ten years will do that to a person." I said while still trying to hold my smile in place but it faltered and fell, leaving me sounding like a bitch.

"So, where are the rest of your bags?" Alaric looked around me, searching for something that wasn't there, I knew that feeling well.

"This is it. Dad gave me some money to get some clothes with and stuff." I mumbled slightly embarrassed at my lack of preparation for coming here, but as it had been under duress I really felt that I had reason.

"Oh, okay... So, I guess we should go then." Alaric smiled again and started walking from the airport with me trailing in his wake.

~0~

The ride back to Mystic Falls, my new home for as long as Alaric could stand me, was awkward to say the least. He tried making conversation with me, but it was so forced it was almost painful.

"So... What classes were you taking back home then?" He asked me after five minutes of silence.

"I don't know, the usual? Biology, History?" I asked, hating the way I was always so shy around people. Couldn't I just for once act like a normal person? I mean, I'd stood up to vampires for god sake! How could I not conduct a conversation with a regular person? Someone I was even related to?

Again we lapsed back into silence for a bit, before Alaric sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair, he glanced at me from the corner of his eyes before speaking. "Look, I'm not really sure why your dad thinks this is a good idea. I'm not a rolemodel of any kind, I drink too much, I say the wrong things and I encourage bad behaviour." A smile spread slightly across my face at his words, I didn't need a rolemodel, and Charlie knew that, I had a feeling I knew what dad had been thinking after all. "But I told your dad I'd look out for you, and I will. Just going to take a bit of getting use to, that's all."

"It'll be fine. I don't really need someone to look out for me, just legally I'm not aloud to stay by myself." I replied with a small smile, I didn't want this guy to think that he owed me anything, or was being forced into looking after me against his will.

"We all need someone to look out for us Bella. Sometimes we don't know we do, that's all." Alaric said quietly while looking at me again.

I nodded, trying not to get on his bad side already by arguing. But I really didn't need anyone looking out for me, I was better on my own, everyone who gets close gets bored and leaves so what's the point?

"So, I don't know what your dad told you about me or anything here?" Alaric said, seeming more at ease now.

"Nothing, he just told me I was moving in with you." I replied, trying to match his easy tone, but it didn't sound right, even to my own ears. It sounded dead and forced, just how I felt on the inside.

"Right. Right. Well er... I'm a history teacher at the high school so I guess I'll be your teacher to, so that won't be too awkward or anything." Alaric grinned at his own joke. "Erm... I live with my girlfriend and her nephew and niece. So the house is gonna be a bit full." He must have seen the worry on my face as he quickly carried on. "Don't worry the house is pretty big so you've got your own room, bathroom too." I did relax at that, at least I wouldn't be forcing my company on anyone.

"So what are their names?" I asked wanting to know at least something about these people before I was thrust in the middle of them.

"Jenna, she's my girlfriend, she's really nice, you'll love her." Alaric spoke with obvious love for this woman which made me flinch slightly, I didn't know if I could handle being around a happy couple, not now, not after everything.

"Then there's Jeremy, he's the youngest, he's just turned sixteen, but he's alright for a teenage boy." Alaric flashed a toothy grin again, he obviously cared for this family a lot. I felt even worse about this as we started driving past large houses on the outskirts of the town, what was I doing coming into this happy family, I'd just wreck it or get in the way.

"And Elena, she's your age, so at least you'll know someone when you start school next week." I think that Alaric really did think that he was calming me down with his talk, but he wasn't he was just freaking me out even more. No way on earth would this girl, or any of the family for that matter, accept me or welcome into their home, this just had more pain and heart ache written all over it for me.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest, worry clutching my stomach and nerves taking me over as we pulled in front of a large homely looking house.

"So this is it." Alaric said my own thoughts out loud for me as he turned the engine to his truck off.

This is it.

**So there it was my first chapter in my first ever Vampire Diaries/Twilight story... I'm posting two more chaps that have been completed tonight, these are what I'd call warm up chapters... The fun stuff starts soon people :) hope you enjoyed it. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is the second of three chaps you'll be getting off me today - that's how much I'm loving this story! Hope your enjoying it too :)**

**Again my heart felt thanks go to Arabella Whitlock my amazing beta :) any mistakes are mine. **

**I own nothing except a crazy imagination. **

Firework

Happy Family

I followed Alaric up the steps that led to the house, nerves gripping me tightly. It was beautiful, and obviously well cared for. A large porch wrapped round the front of the house, furniture dotted about on it, showing that it was used. Sitting outside in the warm air and sunshine might have been something I could get use to if the family let me stay for a while.

Alaric opened the door for me and motioned for me to head in first, with a nervous look at him I did. Inside was as beautiful as the outside, a large hallway greeted me with polished wooden floorboards and a light décor that made the house seem warm somehow.

"Hey!" Came a friendly voice from in front of me, a woman who I'd not noticed as I took in my surroundings was stood watching me from a doorway, a smile plastered across her kind and open face.

"Hi." I replied biting my lip as I did.

"I'm Jenna your uncles girlfriend, and you must be Bella! Welcome to Mystic Falls." The woman said enthusiastically. She was pretty, really pretty with long straight red hair and eyes which smiled with her face.

"Um.. Yeah, thanks?" I said, making it sound like a question somehow.

Jenna stood looking at me with her head tilted a little bit, as though trying to work me out, her smile never faltered though. "Where's the rest of your stuff?" She asked me as she came forward and took my small, battered suitcase from my hands.

"I... I.. This is it." I mumbled, embarrassed yet again.

"Really? This is all you've brought? You sure you're a teenager?" Jenna asked me playfully, her eyes lighting up.

"Pretty sure yeah." I smiled back at her, she was easy to like, that was for sure. I could see why Alaric was so in love with her.

"Okay then, you want me to show you to your room? I bet you've had a long flight?" She asked me.

"Um.. Sure?" Again I made it sound like a question, but I was really on edge here. What was the protocol for living with complete strangers?

"Follow me." Jenna said before heading up the stairs, with a quick glance at Alaric who nodded and smiled at me, I did as I was told and followed the surprisingly young woman up the wide staircase.

"So, that's Alaric's and my room, that's Elena's there, that's the guest room, Jeremy's is that one just there and this is your room." Jenna told me as we passed white wooden doors. Alaric had been right, the house was big. It would have fit two or three of Charlie's in it comfortably.

I stepped through the door closest to Jeremy's room and took in my surroundings. The room was huge. It was painted white, bright white with a dark wooden double bed in the middle and dark wooden wardrobe to the side, as well as a desk and vanity unit that matched. Other than that it was empty. The window which looked out on to the road outside was guarded by a comfy looking window seat, the perfect place to sit and read or just watch the world go by. It was a really nice room.

"So obviously it's a bit boring at the minute but you can paint or whatever, and this is your bathroom here." Jenna opened another white wooden door which revealed a small but clean and modern room. Got to say I was a fan of not having to share a bathroom again.

"I guess I'll leave you to it then." Jenna said while giving me a wide smile. I didn't understand it, how did she not mind opening up her house to a complete stranger? "Elena and Jeremy will be back for dinner tonight, so you'll meet them then, they're both out with friends, we weren't expecting you for a little while otherwise they'd have been here. If you need anything just shout and don't be afraid to come down, you don't have to stay locked up in here or anything. Unless you want to."

"Thank you Jenna." I smiled at her, trying to keep my tears at bay for just a few more minutes. "Really." I stressed, wanting her to know just how grateful I was to her.

Jenna just nodded at me before leaving the room, my room, and closing the door quietly behind her.

~0~

I'd been in the room, my room for an hour or so, unpacking all of my things and trying to make my surroundings into a home before showering and changing into clothes that weren't so travel worn. Alice would've been proud of me I thought with a sigh.

A knock at my door soon brought me out of my maudlin thoughts though. I quickly walked the seemingly large distance to see who was there.

"Hey, all settled in?" Alaric asked with a smile as his eyes took in my room which looked almost exactly the same as when I'd entered it, except for my laptop lying on the desk, charging my ipod up.

"Yeah, thanks." I smiled up at him, feeling more relaxed now that my meger belongings were around me.

"Great. Well Elena and Jeremy are on their way back now, I thought you might want to come down and have a meal like a typical atypical family." Alaric grinned at me, the awkwardness from before now gone.

"Erm... Yeah, sure." I agreed, feeling the butterflies of nerves grab me once more as I shut my door behind me and followed my uncle back down the stairs.

I admitted to myself that I was terrified of meeting these two members of the family. I'd never been able to relate to people my own age, had found it hard to make friends. I was sure that I'd be just as awkward, find it just as hard to fit in here as anywhere else I'd been before.

"Hey Bella." Jenna greeted me as Alaric lead me into a pretty impressive kitchen, oh the meals I could make in here. "You get unpacked and settled okay?"

"Yes thanks, wasn't much to unpack luckily." I told her beaming in response to her open smile. Maybe living here wouldn't be too bad after all? If they let me stay anyway.

"Cool. Well we can go shopping or something tomorrow if you'd like? Get you some stuff to make your room more you, some clothes? Hey we could get some lunch too, invite Elena, make a real girls day of it!?" Jenna looked excited at the prospect of a girly day out. That worried me, I hoped that she didn't want to play Bella Barbie like others had done, cause that really wasn't me, and I'd pretended it was for too long with nothing good to come of it.

"Haven't you got a paper due?" Alaric asked the excitable woman with raised eyebrows and a smile.

"Oh yeah, crap! I guess I'm study bound tomorrow, sorry." Jenna looked annoyed but quickly perked up and went to grab some glasses from a cupboard behind her, as she did Alaric gave me a sly grin and winked at me.

I full on smiled back at him and mouthed 'thanks'. He just nodded and went to help his girlfriend.

I heard the front door open and heavy footsteps on the exposed wooden floor in the hallway. "Hey! We're home!" A girls voice came floating towards us sounding happy but tired. My heart beat started to pick up now, here it went.

"In the kitchen!" Alaric called back with easy familiarity, yeah these guys were defiantly a happy family alright, and here I was the interloper.

A girl I assumed to be Elena and a younger guy that I guessed was Jeremy walked into the kitchen, both with easy going smiles plastered across their good looking faces.

"Hey, guys. Hi, you must be Alaric's niece, Bella, I'm Elena." The girl addressed me, her face open with a wide smile. She was easily one of the prettiest girls I'd ever met, inhuman company included. Her face was flawless, with big brown doe eyes and long straight brown hair that shone. Already I felt out of place and plain stood next to her.

"Hi." I replied shyly.

"Hey, I'm Jeremy." The boy told me, his eyes flashing over me cautiously before he smiled as well. He was also really good looking, with hair as brown as his sisters and a smile that showed off a strong jaw line that would have girls flinging themselves at him.

"Hi." I repeated myself, feeling slightly stupid. Could I not think of a more original greeting?

"Smells good what's for dinner?" Jeremy asked Jenna as Elena turned her attention solely on me.

"So Bella, what do you think of Mystic Falls so far then?" She asked me as she leant against the work top, her friendly smile still in place.

"Erm... I haven't really seen any of it except for in here." I smiled shyly back. "But this is nice, and I'm preferring the weather already." There was something about this girl that put me slightly at ease, she was really friendly, without trying too hard.

"What's the weather like back in...?" Elena asked with an apologetic smile as she obviously couldn't remember where it was I'd got here from.

"Forks." I smiled right back. "It's rainy pretty much all the time, I swear in the eight months I lived there, there was only three sunny days."

"Well you'll love it here then! It's sunny like all of the time." Elena said while pushing herself off the counter and helping to take food to a table off to the side of the vast room.

Soon we were all sat around the table eating pizza and salad. Conversation was flowing like nothing strange had happened at all, like I wasn't someone intruding but part of things.

"So what's Stefan doing without you tonight Elena? He must be sat moping somewhere?" Jeremy teased his sister good naturedly.

"Nope, he's at the Grill with Caroline and Matt." Elena grinned while softly smacking his arm. It was nice to see. Nice but sad as well, as I remembered other siblings that got on just as well as these two, more inhuman though.

"Have you got a boyfriend you've left behind then Bella?" Jeremy smiled at me over the table, but everyone else immediately stopped talking and glared at him. Guess Charlie had filled them in on my drama.

"Erm... No." I mumbled looking down into my pizza, I hadn't left anything back home except my dad, everyone else had left me first.

"I'm meeting my friends at the Grill tomorrow evening, you should come Bella." Elena covered up the awkward silence at the table and smiled gently at me. It was an understanding smile, she'd obviously been left by someone she'd loved before as well. I had a feeling that if I wasn't too odd, I might just make a friend here. A real friend.

"Sure, that sounds fun." I said quietly with a nod.

~0~

It had been a nice night, everyone had obviously made the effort to stay in and get to know me, but they didn't make me feel like I was intruding or anything, more that I was being welcomed.

I still didn't get it, how they could welcome a stranger so openly into their home, but I did appreciate it. By the time I went to my room I felt almost happy.

After my shower I got dressed into my night things and curled under the covers, staring from my bed out of the window into the night sky. It was beautiful and relaxed me slightly. Maybe moving to Mystic Falls wouldn't be so bad after all? I thought to myself as the dull edges of sleep crept up on me.

~0~

"Bella!" A voice shouting my name, worried yet nervous and broke through my nightmare.

I jumped up in the unfamiliar room to see a girl standing over me. My heart rate started slowing down as I remembered where I was, as I realised it was just a dream. I wasn't there anymore. I was here, in Mystic Falls. I was okay, I was fine.

But Elena, she looked freaked out, I must have been screaming in my sleep again. "Are you okay?" She asked me with wide eyes.

"Yeah fine, had a nightmare that's all, sorry I woke you." I said, blushing as I did, could I be more of a spaz?

"That's okay, are you sure you're alright?" Elena asked again, the terrified look on her face slowly leaving her.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks." I smiled back slightly, well there went my chance at actually making a friend.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. Night Bella." Elena said quietly before shutting the door on me.

I sank back into my pillows and groaned. When would these nightmares leave me? When would I be normal again? Or was I always doomed to this? To being a freak.

I realised I wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon, and I was getting slight hunger pangs, the type that only come at two in the morning. So I slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs, hardly daring to breath in case I woke anyone else up.

I reached the kitchen, surprised to see a light on and Alaric stood at the counter with a glass of what I assumed was whiskey clutched in his grasp.

"You okay?" Alaric asked me as he took in my appearance with a practised eye when I walked quietly to join him.

"Yeah, fine. I didn't wake you did I?" I asked as I poured myself a glass of water, while trying to hide the blush that heated up my cheeks.

"No, I was still up." Alaric told me, watching me carefully over his glass. "Charlie told me about your nightmares, I thought he was over-exaggertrating."

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, upset that here I was disturbing this kind family after only a day here. They'd probably ship me out in the morning, find someone else to take me in. I didn't blame them though, not at all, I'd kick me out in a heart beat.

"Stop saying sorry Bella, I'm guessing you can't control having nightmares." Alaric smiled gently at me. I shook my head, of course I couldn't, but I wished that I could. "Well then..." Alaric smiled again before going to the freezer and pulling out a tub of ice cream. "Now I'm told reliably that this helps all things."

Alaric handed me a spoon and pulled the top off the ice cream, he was right, it did help. After a few minutes of eating the ice cream together in silence Alaric once again broke it.

"I'm also told that talking about it helps. You wanna tell me about that nightmare of yours?" He asked me, gently though, there was no pressure.

My heart sped up a little, my hands started to sweat and a pit opened up in my stomach. Did I want to tell him about the nightmares that I still had? No. Should I? Probably.

"What did dad tell you?" I asked in just over a whisper, my shaking hand digging out some more ice cream and jamming it in my mouth despite the sick feeling in my stomach.

"That you're boyfriend and his family just upped and left you one day, that you got better when you made a friend but then he stopped seeing you and you reverted back. He said that you were near catatonic and that you had the worse nightmares he'd ever heard and he thought that a change of scenery would be best for you." Alaric was looking at me, but my gaze was firmly on the melting ice cream, I didn't want to see sympathy, or someone who wanted to know why I just wasn't over it yet.

"That's about it." I nodded.

"The nightmares?" Alaric pushed me.

"I dream that I'm back in the woods back home, and he's gone again, I can't find him. Then something... Something finds me." I don't tell him what, I can't. He wouldn't believe that I worried psychopathic vampires were after me, that they haunted my nightmares and sometimes my waking thoughts too. Hell, I told him that he'd probably have me taken away in a straight jacket.

"Break-ups suck." Alaric told me matter of factly.

"Yeah, they do." I replied, my eyes filling up with tears that I didn't want to shed.

"But they do get better eventually. That I can promise, not straight away, and you'll always have a scar from it. But one day you'll wake up and find yourself filling that hole with something else, and in time you find that it's actually gone." Alaric said, sounding like he had experience in that area. I looked up to him, wanting to believe him but knowing it wasn't true, I couldn't put the pieces of me back together long enough to even find where the missing bits should be, let alone fill them with something else.

"You remember your aunt Isobel right?" Alaric asked me.

"Yeah... Kind of... I met her with you that time." I said vaguely remembering a smiling woman who'd hung to his arm when I'd met him.

"She died a while ago, it took me a long time to make myself better, to feel again, but I did. And I'm glad I did. You'll get there, trust me." Alaric told me sincerely. And staring into the brown eyes that were so similar to my own I did believe him, and I did trust him.

"Now I'm gonna try and get some sleep. You should too." Alaric said flashing me a smile before heading from the room. "Night Bella."

"Night uncle Alaric." I repeated in a whisper.

~0~

The beeping of my phone woke me up, groggy and disorientated the next morning.

"Hello?" I yawned into it pulling it under the covers with me. It was bright in my room, really bright, late morning bright. I hadn't slept in this long since I'd met _him_.

"Hey kid." Charlie's warm voice echoed down the line to me, waking me up slightly.

"Hi dad, how you doing?" I asked sitting up in the comfy bed.

"Same as I was when you left yesterday Bells." I swear I could hear his eye roll down the line. "How are you kid? You liking Mystic Falls?"

"I'm good, everyone in the house is really nice, there making me feel very welcome." I said with a small smile, it was true.

"Good. Just wanted to check in, make sure that you're okay. What are your plans for today?" Charlie asked, sounding a little worried, but after how I'd acted in Forks I couldn't blame him.

"I'm er..." Crap I really had to think of something to do or he'd be straight on the phone to Alaric again. "I'm gonna decorate my room today and I'm going out with Elena tonight to meet her friends." I told Charlie, realising that it wasn't such a bad idea, well that's if I hadn't completely messed everything up with my stupid nightmare last night.

"That sounds good. Well have fun Bells, and ring your old man when you get a chance yeah?" He sounded happier now, now that he knew I wouldn't just be sat by myself all day, alone and catatonic.

"I will." I promised before hanging up on him, that was probably the longest conversation I'd ever had with my dad and I made a note to keep them up, I'd ring him everyday if I could.

~0~

"Morning! How are you feeling?" Elena was the only one downstairs when I'd got up and dressed, she had her smile pasted back onto her face. Not looking at me like a freak at all; the people in Mystic Falls were a lot more sympathetic than back in Forks, that was for sure.

"Yeah, I'm good thanks. Look about last night...?" I started, the blush that I couldn't hide making it's way back to my checks again.

"Don't even mention it. I've had crazy ass nightmares before too." Elena said while eating some cereal sat on the kitchen work top. "So what do you wanna do today then?"

"Er... I thought about painting my room. Jenna said yesterday that it was..." I started explaining that I'd been giving permission in case she thought I was being too forward but she cut over me with a smile.

"That's a great idea! Do you want some help?" Elena asked looking a little excited.

"Yeah, sure." I smiled back, determined to at least try and make a friend here.

"We've got some paint in the shed, or we can go out and get some, whatever. What colour were you thinking?" Elena was getting really excited about the makeover on the room we were planning and it rubbed off.

"Something bright!" I decided, I needed bright and light in my life now. Something that had been missing for too long.

**Did you like it? I sure hope so! :) next chapter to follow quickly. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: here's the final chapter for today. Hope you're enjoying the story so far! See you at the bottom. **

**Once again my thanks go to the awesome Arabella Whitlock, any mistakes are completely my own :)**

**I do not own anything, except for my own leather jacket that is. **

Firework

Grilled

Elena and I had spent the rest of the morning digging through the shed which was full of cobwebs and obviously hadn't been used for a while, looking for supplies. We'd found a perfect bright yellow colour, one that reminded me of sunshine. Something that would hopefully keep my nightmares away.

We'd had a quick sandwich before starting to paint the room, at some point Jeremy and Jenna joined us and the four of us decorated together. Laughing and joking while we did. Real laughter, not the fake laugh I'd been putting on for so long.

Jeremy was sarcastic and had a quick wit, as well as an understanding side of him that I didn't expect for a guy his age. Elena was bright, fun and bubbly but not too over the top with it and bounced right off her brother. Jenna was the perfect mix of both of them, sarcastic and bubbly. She acted more like a kid than an adult and was fun to be around. The strangest thing for me though was that instead of feeling left out or the odd one I actually fitted in when I finally let my guard down. I could be just as sarcastic and laugh just as loud. It was fun. And it was exactly what I'd needed, even if I hadn't known it.

Maybe Alaric was right, maybe I could start to fill the hole that had been left by them with something else. With being part of a family and having friends? Not relying on a man, or anyone else for my happiness? Maybe.

"What time is it?" Elena asked as she finished painting the wall her and I had been working on together.

"Er... Five, ish." Jenna said putting down her own paint brush and admiring our handiwork.

The room did look loads better now, the yellow reflecting sunlight from the window inside. It went well with the dark furniture in the room. It was almost a days worth of labour and fun.

"I've gotta get ready!" Elena said with a grin before turning to face me. "You can get ready in my room if you want? These walls won't be dry for a little while."

"I'll just grab some clothes, hang on." I said with my own smile in return, I'd smiled more here in two days than I had in months back in Forks.

I dug through my wardrobe looking for anything that could be remotely suitable for going to a bar, I had nothing. I guess it was just going to be jeans and a t-shirt again. Not that I minded, I'd just wanted to make a good impression for once.

A memory broke through; the last time I'd wanted to make a good impression. I'd been going to meet a family of vampires and I'd wanted to look good, I'd picked out the only skirt I owned but still felt like I was dowdy and under dressed. I hadn't fit in there, I wasn't going to fit in here, no matter what I wore. That much I knew.

"You can borrow some of my clothes if you want, we've gotta be about the same size. And we'll go shopping tomorrow?" Elena asked me, her eyes taking in something on my face, an emotion I didn't want there.

"Yeah, that will be great, thanks." I replied plastering my face with a smile and hiding my real emotions behind the mask. Something that was getting easier to put on everyday. Somehow I didn't think that was a good thing.

~0~

"Elena! Stefan's here!" I heard Jenna shout from downstairs, her voice echoing around the hallway outside of Elena's room where we'd been getting ready.

"Who's Stefan?" I asked as I put in a pair of earrings that she'd insisted made my outfit.

"Erm... He's my... Boyfriend." Elena told me quietly with soft eyes.

"You never told me you had a boyfriend!?" I said slowly, almost an accusation.

"Yeah well with everything..." Elena trailed off.

"Elena, there's no point trying to hide something like a boyfriend from me. Most people have them." I smirked. "And I'm fine with that. It's my ex and my ex friend that I have issues with. And I'm learning to deal, honest." I told her, my eyes on her through her mirror which was decorated with pictures and jewellery. Her room was an extension of herself and I loved that.

"Sorry, it's just..." Elena said quietly.

"Don't say sorry." I protested, if anyone should be saying sorry it was me, I was so messed up that people were hiding things from me. "Tell me all about him!" I gushed, caught up in this girl bonding day in a way I'd never been able to do before. But I couldn't help it. Elena was beautiful and popular but despite that I saw bits of myself in her. I saw a kindred spirit.

"I'll tell you all about him, but maybe when he's not stood downstairs waiting for us." Elena grinned at me as she stood and grabbed her bag, looking stunning as always. I followed her lead and stood up as well, taking my purse and cell, putting them in the pockets of Elena's leather jacket that I'd borrowed. "You look hot Bella! You've got to get a jacket like that tomorrow!" She gushed over me.

"Er... Yeah. Thanks." I said, not believing her in the slightest. I looked okay, she'd managed to smooth my hair into something almost as nice as hers was and clad in her old clothes I looked quite stylish but still me. I'd picked these out, she hadn't thrust anything on me. Not like Alice would have done. But still I wasn't hot, not even close.

So I was stood in dark skinny jeans, black plimsolls, a black tank top and leather jacket, teamed with the silver hoop earrings that Elena had thrust into my hands.

"Bella, seriously you look fierce. Believe me, I know. Now c'mon, I want you to meet Stefan." She beamed at me before heading out of the room and down the stairs, way more easily than I ever could have done in the heels she was wearing.

I followed at a distance, I could do this, I could handle being round a normal couple for a night, no problem. Deep breaths.

The guy who was smiling at Elena as I reached the bottom of the stairs was really good looking. He had brown hair and deep brown eyes, his jaw was chisled to almost perfection and his muscles stood out even under his dark black t-shirt. Elena and him looked perfect stood next to each other. The perfect couple. Okay another deep breath.

"Stefan this is Bella, Alaric's niece, and Bella, this is Stefan, my boyfriend." Elena said with obvious joy. She was head over heels I could see. And surprisingly instead of hurting like I thought it would, I was happy for her. Really happy, this girl, who was so sweet and nice to me, even though she'd been forced into living with me, even though I was weird and woke her up with nightmares, she deserved every bit of happiness she could get.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Stefan stepped forward and shook my hand with a kind smile.

"Same here." I beamed right back while taking his hand.

Instantly I was alert though. My scar, the one I'd got from James, started tingling, almost burning but not quite. My eyes snapped into his. His brown eyes, his warm skin. I was just being stupid, I told myself, I'd probably just rubbed part of the jacket over my arm when I moved it, nothing weird or supernatural here.

I took a deep breath and followed Stefan and Elena from the house, both of whom didn't seem to realise anything unusual had happened with me thankfully.

"Bella!" Jenna called from the door just as the three of us reached the pavement. I looked over my shoulder to see her stood on the porch waving me back.

"Er.. Sorry, I'll just be a second." I said to Elena and Stefan whom both looked as bemused as me as to why I was being called back.

I jogged over to Jenna, praying as I did that I wouldn't trip. "Sorry, I forgot to give you this." Jenna told me as I reached her. I held my hand out automatically as she went to give me something.

"Thanks, hang on Jenna..." I said as I realised what was in my hand. I'd been given a set of keys to the house, which made sense, but I'd also been given some cash.

"Alaric asked me to give you it, don't shoot the messenger. Just take it and enjoy yourself." Jenna smiled warmly at me before walking back into the house.

I looked down at the money and stuffed it into my pocket, determined not to spend a dime and give it back to Alaric as soon as I could. I didn't need his help, I'd get a job or something and I still had enough till I went shopping tomorrow to fund tonight.

I hurried back to Stefan and Elena who were patiently waiting for me still on the sidewalk.

"What was that about?" Elena asked me with a frown as we started walking.

In answer, so I didn't have to lie I took the keys Jenna had given me and showed them to her. Elena just nodded and showed me her trademark smile again.

"So Bella, Elena said that you come from Forks, in Washington right?" Stefan asked me as we carried on walking together. He had a nice soft voice, and a kind smile. Was everyone in this town a saint?

It took us twenty minutes to reach the Grill, the place where school kids and adults alike hung out apparently. The conversation had been nice, Stefan seemed like a really cool guy, he'd been interested in me but not too prying. He was good company.

We stepped inside the bar and I was surprised to see it so busy. The place was packed and looked nothing like I'd imagined. There were pool tables, booths, a bar, food being served and also a cleared area that looked like a dance floor.

"Hey look! There's Bonnie and everyone." Elena said to Stefan and me.

"You go over, I'll get the drinks. What do you want?" Stefan asked Elena with a smile, his eyes shining with love.

"I'll just have a diet coke please." Elena said back, her eyes holding the same amount of feeling.

"Bella?" Stefan asked me.

"I'll have the same please." I told him and started trying to free my purse from my pockets.

"Don't worry, I've got it." Stefan winked before walking towards the bar so quickly that I couldn't protest.

"C'mon." Elena said while taking me by the hand and dragging me to a booth that was almost full.

"Hey guys!" She exclaimed as we reached the booth full of teenagers about our age.

"Hi!" Most of them greeted back, looking from her to me. I felt the familiar rise of a blush as they looked me over. I hated being stared at, I felt like they could all see that I was pretending, already knew I didn't fit, didn't belong.

"Okay this is Bella, she's Alaric's niece and she's living with us all. Bella this is Bonnie, Caroline, Matt and Tyler." Elena introduced everyone.

"Hey Bella, it's nice to meet you." Bonnie beamed at me as she held out her hand, awkwardly I took it.

Again I stared into her eyes in shock. My scar had started tingling again. But this girl, she was as normal as Stefan. She had beautiful mocha skin and deep chocolate eyes, as well as brown hair that fell into artistic curls down her back. And she was warm, almost hot in fact, defiantly nothing supernatural there. I needed to stop freaking out and acting so paranoid.

"Hi Bella!" Caroline cut over Bonnie, her voice loud and excited. She reminded me so much of Alice for a second that my heart skipped a beat. "Are you going to be going to school with us? How long are you staying here? You so need to come on the decorating committee this year with Bonnie, Elena and me! We'll have soo much fun!" She really didn't stop talking, it was like a dam had burst in her mouth and all the words came tumbling out in a flood that just wouldn't be stopped.

"Wow! Caroline! Breath! Let Bella speak!" The boy sat next to her, Tyler, spoke up with an easy going nature. He grinned at me before raising his eyebrows at the pretty blonde.

"Sorry, sorry. I get carried away." Caroline apologised to me with a smile and her hands in front of her mouth. Everyone around the table rolled their eyes but I let out a giggle, so she did have a filter if pointed out.

Matt and Bonnie both shifted on their sides of the table so that Elena and me could get in, as well as Stefan when he returned from the bar.

"How you finding Mystic Falls so far then Bella?" Matt turned and asked me. He was cute, in a Mike Newton kind of way, but much less annoying. He had blonde hair and nice bright eyes, kindness in them like everyone else I'd met here so far.

"It's great, everyone's so nice." I smiled as Stefan came over and passed the drinks he'd brought for us out. "Thanks." I said excepting mine and taking a drink.

"So are you all seniors then?" I asked, wanting to know more about these people, interested in them for a change. Not just pretending. Maybe if I'd have given people this chance before I'd have had more friends. But then again, no-one back in Forks had been this openly friendly, they all had an agenda, all were interested in me just because I was new. No-one's eyes held so much happiness and kindness except for Angela's, the one true friend I had made back at home.

"Yeah or we will be on Monday! We've known each other since, like forever. Well except Stefan that is." Bonnie beamed at the guy in question.

I looked to him with eyebrows raised, wanting to know the story there but didn't ask in case he didn't want to tell.

"I was in your shoes last year. New guy at school." Stefan smiled kindly at me.

The conversation carried on like that for a while. And I found that I was really enjoying myself. I really liked Bonnie and Caroline, well when Caroline used her filter I did anyway. Matt and Tyler seemed like nice enough guys too, but talked more amongst themselves.

I looked to the bar after a couple of hours and after we'd placed an order for food. Alaric was sat there with another guy. His back to me all I could see was a lean body and a mass of dark black hair, as black as night.

"Hey I'm gonna get a drink, anyone want one?" I asked, I needed to give Alaric his money back, and this was the perfect opportunity.

"I'll get it." Stefan said quickly while glancing at the bar, his eyes looking toward Alaric and his friend, a frown on his face as he did.

"It's good, I've got this, besides I kind of wanted to talk to Alaric." I told him.

"Please Bella, it's your first night out here, I'll get the drinks, and you can see Alaric at home right?" Stefan smiled at me, but something was off. I just wasn't sure what. Maybe Stefan just really didn't like girls buying their own drinks?

"Um... Sure, okay?" I said, Stefan really smiled at me as I sat back down. He placed a kiss to Elena's lips and headed to the bar.

"He just wants you to like it here that's all, he remembers how it feels being new." Elena said, watching me as I looked to her boyfriend.

"He seems really nice." I smiled at Elena, tearing my eyes off Stefan, letting it drop but knowing deep inside that something was going on.

The conversation carried on flowing over the food, which was delicious.

"Bella and I are going shopping tomorrow, you two should come, make it a girls day?" Elena asked Bonnie and Caroline as we started making noises about heading home.

"I'd love to, but I've made plans with Jeremy, sorry." Bonnie said with an apologetic smile. Bonnie, Elena's best friend, was going out with Jeremy, Elena's kid brother, and apparently everyone was cool with that.

"Caroline?" Elena asked.

"Yes! Shopping!" Caroline enthused, with a huge smile.

"Great, I'll give you a text." Elena smiled back.

I smiled at Caroline, glad that I'd be able to get to know the bubbly blonde some more. I was pretty sure that after tonight I had some real possible friends here.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow then..." Caroline's words died in her mouth and a hard look appeared in her eyes as she looked over my shoulder.

I turned to see who had that effect on the happy girl.

The guy who'd sat at the bar with Alaric was stood behind me with a grin on his face. And wow.

He was tall, at least six feet, his face was strong and handsome, his hair as dark as it looked from across the room, his muscles apparent even under his long sleeved black t-shirt. And his eyes. His eyes were the brightest, iciest blue I'd ever seen. He was drop dead gorgeous.

Not that it mattered, I knew a pretty face didn't mean anything. And I'd sworn off guys for the rest of my life.

"Well hello there, you're new aren't you?" The man asked me with a sparkle in his eyes and a mischievous grin.

"Yeah?" I asked, what was with him? Something about this guy just screamed danger and hurt.

"Who's your friend Elena, she looks **delicious**." The man stressed delicious in a way that made me think of red eyes and pain. My heart started beating slightly faster. I needed to calm myself down, I was being stupid. I was reading way too much into this handsome mans words.

"This is Bella, and we, are leaving." Elena said, her eyes hard as she jumped down from her seat and glared at the man, tugging Stefan with her as she did.

"So soon, but I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet. You don't want to leave just yet, do you Bella?" He asked me, his brilliant blue eyes boring deeply into my own.

"Yes I do." I replied quietly, this guy was creeping me out. Despite his good looks.

The man looked shocked at that, shocked and angry. Apparently he wasn't use to people saying no to him.

"Damon!" Came a sharp voice from across the bar before Alaric came walking over to us, his eyes fierce and never leaving the man in front of me. "I see you've met **my niece**." Alaric said, before smiling gently at me.

"I've just had the pleasure of meeting Bella here Ric. Though I had no idea that she's your niece. We were just getting to know each other. **Weren't we **Bella?" Damon asked me, his eyes widening as once again he looked straight into my own.

"No, Elena and me were just leaving." I repeated, getting slightly angry. There was persistent in a nice way and then there was just annoying, this guy had crossed that line. I was sure he was just being friendly like everyone else, but I didn't really want him talking about me like that, like he was telling me what I was going to do. I'd had enough of people deciding what I was gonna do for a life time.

"What?" Damon asked confused for a moment, as though he had no idea how I could possibly refuse him.

"I said no we weren't, Elena and I are going home." I replied with a frown. Elena nodded before taking my hand and moving me from the bar, swerving around Damon as she did, Stefan right behind us.

As we stepped out into the cooling night air Elena let go of my hand. "Who was that?" I asked, slightly pissed at the guy, but also intrigued. There was just something...

"I'm sorry about him Bella, I'll talk to him he won't bother you again." Stefan said, his eyes holding doubt, as though he didn't believe what he was saying.

"Who was he?" I asked again.

"That is Damon, Stefan's brother. And he's an ass." Elena stated, her voice holding anger. An emotion I'd not expected from her.

"You're brother?" I asked, though now I thought about it I could see a certain family resemblance.

"Yes." Stephan sighed as though he wished he weren't.

Okay, first impressions about Damon hadn't been so great, but what was with everyone disliking him so much? Even his own brother? Was he really that much of an ass? Against my will and my better judgment I was defiantly interested in learning a bit more about Damon.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V

Alaric walked Damon back from the kids, his anger well and truly fired up. Damon needed to keep away from his niece. She was screwed up enough without having Damon play with her, and Alaric was sure that's what the vampire would do, he'd play with her till he got bored, then he'd dump her, or worse.

"So you've got your niece staying with you? Gotta say, she's smoking." Damon said while ordering another whiskey with just a wave of his long fingers. He hadn't been lying either, she was hot.

"Damon, cut the shit." Alaric growled, too tired and not drunk enough to deal with it.

"So how did the lovely Bella end up in your care then Ric?" Damon asked, his curiosity piqued, though he wasn't sure why. Sure she was hot, but then so were half of the lovelies in here. No it was something in her eyes, something in those deep brown emotive eyes that interested him. She was hiding something, and Damon loved a puzzle.

"Damon." Alaric warned the vampire.

"What? Can't a friend, ask another friend a question? Especially when his friends obviously got another mouth to feed. That's important stuff Ric." Damon said, his voice teasing.

"She got her heart broken, her boyfriend left her, then her best friend. Her dad -my brother- thought that she should come and live with me." Alaric told Damon, against his better judgement. But Damon was right, he probably should talk to someone other than Jenna about the new addition to his family.

"He sent her to live with you!? Does he even know you? You're an awful role model." Damon scoffed.

"That's why he sent her to live with me." Alaric mused.

"Come again?" Damon asked a frown above those brilliant blue eyes.

Alaric remembered his phone call with Charlie earlier in the day.

_"She's messed up Charlie, she needs her family, not being passed around like this!" Alaric had argued with his brother. _

_"You're her family too Ric." Charlie said simply. _

_"I'm not a guardian though Charlie!" _

_"She doesn't need a guardian. She needs to start living! Be a normal teenage girl for once." Charlie insisted, he knew what he was doing might backfire but he was willing to take that chance. _

_"Bella is a normal teenage girl Charlie, she just had her heart broken is all. She needs time but she'll be fine." Alaric had argued, not seeing what Charlie was getting at. Bella seemed like a typical teenage girl to him, maybe a little more shy and polite than average but still normal. _

_"That's the thing though Ric. She's not. All her life she's been looking after someone else, her mom, then me. Then she gets a boyfriend and starts acting like a middle aged woman. I don't think she's ever even had a beer for gods sake. She doesn't ever break curfew, she doesn't cuss, doesn't smoke, doesn't go where she's not suppose to. She doesn't hang out with the other teenage kids. She needs to start living a life, a real one, go out break a few rules. Enjoy herself. And you won't stop her, and she won't feel like she has to take care of you, of any of you. You are exactly what Bella needs Ric. Please."_

Alaric had agreed, of course he had, how could he not. A seventeen year old who hadn't even had a beer? He might be a bad role model, but Charlie was right in saying that he was just what his niece needed.

Omitting some parts, so hopefully Bella didn't seem so alluring to Damon, Alaric told his friend everything. Including the fact that he really did hope that he could help Bella, that he could make sure she enjoyed her life a little, live it.

Damon sat and listened. That's what was hiding in those big brown doe eyes. Heart break; and she was putting on such a good mask too. Damon, though he'd never let on to anyone, could relate, his mask fooled most of the world, even his own brother and Bella's was almost as good as his was.

She might make an interesting play mate, the dark haired man thought with a smirk.

**A/N: so that's your lot! I really, really hope that you enjoyed what I've got so far! Please leave a review and let me know. Every reviewer gets Damon as a play mate for one night ;) Till next time, happy dreams. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys - thanks for the amazing response to this story! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

**As always I owe ArabellaWhitlock thousands for her help. Thanks Wifey!**

**I own nothing - except my very own copy of TVD season 2 :D**

* * *

Firework

Party On

My nightmare was different that night. It started out the same as always. I was running through the woods looking for him, calling his name as I did, but I still couldn't find him. After a while I realised that something was stalking me. This time when it came for me it wasn't Victoria or Laurent or James. It was a man with bright blue eyes and a dark smirk.

Gasping for air I sat upright in my bed. God, those eyes had really done a number on me, I thought as I climbed out of bed and into the shower.

It wasn't until I was dressed and ringing Charlie's phone that I realised that I hadn't woke up screaming for once.

"Chief Swan speaking." Charlie answered his desk phone officially.

"Hey dad."

"Hi kiddo, how are you?" Charlie said his voice warm, I could hear the smile in it down the line.

"I'm good thanks, how are you, you eating properly?" I asked with a smile, though I was worried that he was just eating junk now that I'd gone.

"Don't worry so much Bells, I'm going to Billy's for dinner, I'm fine. So how was last night? Did you go out with Elena yet?" Dad asked me, hope in his voice.

"Yup, we went to the Grill, which is this bar in town where everyone hangs out. It was good, I met Elena's friends. And we're having a girls day out shopping today as well." I knew why my dad had sent me here, he was hoping that I'd do the normal teenage thing, and he reckoned that Alaric would encourage that. So I'd make sure that my dad knew I was doing exactly as he wanted me to.

"That's great kid. You got enough money? I can send you some?" Dad asked me and again I could hear his excited smile down the line.

"I'm good thanks." I told him, as I remembered to give Alaric his money back from last night.

"Well you enjoy yourself kid. And give me a ring at some point yeah?"

Reassuring Charlie that I'd do just that I hung up with a smile. I loved my dad so much, but he was transparent at times, he really was.

"Bella! You up?!" I heard Jeremy shouting from downstairs, breaking me out of my thoughts with a smile.

"Coming!" I shouted back before heading down to join him.

When I reached the kitchen I was stunned and happy to see Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, Jeremy, Alaric and Jenna. And a huge stack of pancakes. Everyone was stood around the counters eating laughing and joking.

"Morning! Come and help yourself." Jenna smiled at me as she stood next to Alaric with a modest pile of pancakes on her plate.

"Morning." I said while doing just that, the pancakes looked and smelt amazing, and there was every topping that anyone could possibly want or need. "Jenna, this looks delicious!" I beamed at her, starting to lose some of my shyness around the family.

"Thanks, but I'm not the cook, that would be Elena and Bonnie." Jenna smiled at the two girls in question. "I'm more of a microwave technician."

"Well then, Elena, Bonnie, this looks delicious." I grinned before tucking into my own stack.

"Here Bella, some coffee for you." Alaric put a cup in front of me. I smiled thankfully at him before taking a sip.

Uh! The coffee was vile! I made a face and pushed it away from me, it tasted like it had chilli in it or something.

"Something wrong?" Alaric asked me studying my face and my reaction.

"Erm... No... It's fine." I said not wanting to be rude and taking another sip. But I couldn't resist pulling the face again, seriously, it tasted like ass.

"It's obviously not fine." Alaric said, a tight smile on his face as he watched me, but his eyes were hard. "What's wrong with it."

"I'm sorry, but it tastes like there's hot sauce or chilli in it." I said apologetically, not wanting to be rude.

"No, just vervain." Alaric said, his eyes still watching me carefully.

"Vervain?" What was vervain? A herb or something? A vitamin supplement? I was at a loss, it was defiantly not something I'd ever heard of.

"Yeah, it's just like a vitamin we all take. And you obviously aren't a fan." Caroline said, her voice light and bouncy, as everyone else looked at me suspiciously. What the hell was going on?

"Er... No, sorry. Maybe I could take it in water or something? But not in my coffee?" I asked, if it was that important to them, then sure I'd take it, but if it made my first coffee of the day taste awful then I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like it in water.

Bonnie reached across Elena and put her hand on my arm, wrapping it round and looking at me very seriously. She pulled away with a smile and shook her head carefully. "No, it's fine, if you don't like it, you don't have to take it. You're fine Bella." She stressed the last sentence. This was starting to get a little weird for my liking. But at least my scar didn't itch like it had last night when she'd shook my hand.

"Good, now here's a fresh cup." Jenna said as they all had a silent conversation between them. Odd.

"So you girls are going shopping today?" Alaric asked, back to his easy going self.

"Yup." Caroline beamed at him while popping the 'p'.

"Good, you got enough money Bella?" He asked me, making a blush travel up my cheeks again.

"Yes thanks, and er... Here, thanks but I didn't need it." I said while pulling the money he'd given me last night through Jenna out of my pocket and trying to give it back to him.

"Keep it." Alaric told me.

"I'm good thanks, I've got my own money." I didn't want him to think that he needed to give me an allowance or something, I could and would take care of myself.

"Bella, follow me for a second would you?" Alaric said, his voice still light as conversation carried on around us, interrupted only by giggles, and deep laughs from Jeremy.

"Sure?" I followed him into the front room, I hoped he wasn't going to give me a hard time about taking money, I'd never be comfortable doing it.

"Look the money thing." Alaric said when we were on our own.

"I can get a job, and I've got a bit saved up, enough for some clothes and a car." I insisted.

"Bella, Charlie hasn't told you about the inheritance has he?" Alaric asked me.

"Huh?" Was my choice of response.

"When our mom died she left us all, a fair bit of cash, enough so that we don't have to worry. She also left you some. Charlie hasn't told you before, because well, he was going to let you have it when you went to college. But with everything... Well you've got it now. Here." Alaric handed me a credit card. "Don't worry about getting a job, you're not going to need one till well after college, even if you buy five cars and a pony." Alaric grinned at me as I accepted it.

"So I've got money?" I asked confused, and more than a bit overwhelmed. I didn't need money, there wasn't much I wanted, except a car or maybe a bike.

"Yeah, you've got money, what I gave you last night was yours, don't worry so much." Alaric's face got a bit more serious as he carried on. "And don't be so quick to turn down some help, we all need it from time to time."

I nodded, still shocked, I didn't know what to say so I just smiled.

"Great, now finish you're breakfast and then you can go shopping." Alaric tried to put on a stern voice that had me laughing, he didn't do stern our authoritative. And I thought I liked that.

~0~

"So this, is the mall." Caroline declared as we pulled up outside the large white building, we had taken her car as it would hold more bags.

"Really Caroline? Bella's new, not stupid." Elena told her friend with an eye roll as I giggled.

"We had them in Washington too you know?" I teased Caroline as well, enjoying this trip so far.

"All right, quit teasing the blonde and let's go shopping shall we?" Caroline laughed with us.

We spent hours looking round the shops, trying on clothes, laughing, joking and getting to know each other further. The only awkward moment was when Caroline asked me if I had a boyfriend. I'd have to get use to this though, it was a normal question, I had to stop freaking out when people asked me it.

"No. I don't." I replied quietly before turning towards a pair of shoes, that while pretty I knew I'd never be able to walk in.

"Right, lunch?" Elena suggested after we were all weighed down with bags. Despite my normal aversion to shopping I'd found that I had enjoyed this, and I'd also brought more things than I'd ever owned before. I now had something resembling a wardrobe.

"Here I'll take the bags to the car, you two get a table, that way we can shop more after!" Caroline exclaimed, taking the bags that I was struggling to carry in two hands with ease. She must have worked out or something. As her hand brushed mine my scar started its weird tingling, I was ignoring it though, it meant nothing other than that I was a freak.

Elena and I found an empty table in the middle of the bustling food court. I was happy to take the weight of my feet, I'd never been out shopping for that long before. And ouch.

"Is there anything else you want while we're doing this?" Elena asked me, her eyes bright as she looked at me across the table. I was already starting to think of her as a close friend, and that was nice, that was what I needed.

"I'd like to take a look at the book store?" I suggested with a shrug.

"Sure, we'll come with you." Elena said with a smile that I was sure meant more to her than it did to me.

"You really don't have to. I get a bit obsessed with books." I smiled at her, letting her off the hook.

Elena just nodded, her eyes on Caroline who was walking to meet us. "Anything else you need?" She asked me.

"I really need to look for a car or something." Could I be really decadent and get both? A car and a bike? That really would be a dream come true.

"We can go to Mike's I bet he has something." Caroline joined in the conversation as she sat to join us.

Three hours later and we pulled onto the forecourt of Mike's, with so many bags jammed into Caroline's car that we had them all packed in tight around us. I never knew shopping could be so much fun. Maybe it was because while Caroline and Elena suggested things they never forced them upon me?

Mike's to me just looked like a regular garage. Men working inside on three cars, a familiar sight that made me feel a pang for my lost friendship with Jake. But dutifully I followed Elena and Caroline down the side of the garage and to the back, where rows of cars, trucks, vans and bikes awaited us. I had to trust more.

"So what are we looking for? A convertible? Or a little Beetle? Sports car? Sedan?" Caroline seemed as excited as I was starting to get.

"I don't know, maybe a convertible?" I hesitated, visions of me speeding along with the top down didn't really mesh with the real me. As much as I wished that was different.

We walked towards the cars when I stopped and started, drool practically hanging from my mouth.

Caroline and Elena stopped with me, I saw them looking from the beauty to me with frowns on their faces, but for once I didn't care what other people thought. It was stunning.

It was black, with light blue lines gliding down the side, and the body... I could dream about that body. But it looked fast, too fast for me to be able to handle that was almost a given.

"Really? I had you figured for a safe kind of girl. Nothing **wild **like that Bella." A silky smooth voice said next to my ear, breaking my trance.

Damon was stood looking down on me, his blue eyes lit with a smirk that crossed his beautiful face.

"You stalking me?" I asked with a frown, looking for Elena and Caroline who had walked a few rows over to look at some more sensible modes of transport.

"Don't flatter yourself sweetheart." Damon rolled his eyes at me, his smile never leaving his face though. "I'm getting my car looked at, it's making a horrible rattling noise and I'd hate for it to break on me." Damon actually seemed sincere about his car. "What are **you **doing here though luscious Isabella?"

The way he wrapped his tongue around my full name had shivers dancing up my spine. And that annoyed me. He was annoying. "Fishing with Santa Clause." I replied sarcastically while rolling my own eyes at him.

"Feisty as well as tasty. I'm going to like you Isabella, you're going to be fun." Damon's eyes opened wide, showing those stunning blue eyes of his as he looked down at me, a full grin showing off his teeth had my heart thumping inside my chest.

"Uh-huh." I said while raising my eyebrows, I had a spine and I was going to use it. I had to. I couldn't let myself be talked down to, talked about or walked over anymore. I couldn't. Because if that happened again, I couldn't survive it. And despite what some people had thought I did have some survival instinct. "Well, not for you I'm not going to be. If you excuse me I've got a car to buy." My voice didn't shake, but my legs felt like jelly as I walked away. Why was he so god damn hot? Damn him!

"Maybe I can help you?" Damon suggested, appearing at my side and walking with me.

"Why?" I asked, frowning.

"I'm just that kind of guy." He smirked at me.

"Again, uh-huh." I replied, quite enjoying my conversation with Damon, it was fun and refreshing, almost like talking to Jake again and teasing him, but more somehow.

"Why were you looking at the bike, if you're getting a car? By the way, good taste." Damon complimented me and sounded sincere.

"Thanks, I miss riding, thought maybe I'd get myself one? I guess not though." I said sounding as down about that as I felt. I loved that bike, I'd love to ride that bike, but it wasn't for me. Too much for me. I wasn't made to live life in the fast lane, my clumsiness was more than proof of that, add that to the fact that I was a danger magnet and... Yeah, that bike and I just weren't meant to be.

"Why not?" Damon frowned at me.

"Why do you care?" I frowned back. There was something about him, something I couldn't put my finger on, he reminded me of both Jacob and the Cullen's in his way but something completely different too. A puzzle.

"Because I'm bored and I haven't got anything better to do." He smirked at me again. I looked away blushing, hating my traitorous cheeks for giving me away, I examined the cars around me, but nothing seemed to leap out.

"Well that's a compliment if ever I've heard one." I said sarcastically while rolling my eyes, refusing to look at him again. He was obviously a bit bi-polar and he was very bad news, that much I did know. I also knew I'd been here for three days and had all the new friends I could handle right now. And I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to handle Damon somehow.

Damon and I walked in silence as we passed car after car, none of them holding even the slightest appeal for me.

"So why did you move in with uncle Ric then?" Damon asked me after a minute or two.

"I needed a change of scenery." I responded, focusing on a nice little silver car that wasn't too bad I supposed.

"Not nearly good enough, too slow for one. Why did you need a change of scenery?"

"Why do you care?" I snapped, could this guy get more annoying? And what was with him anyway, I was a high school girl and he was obviously in his twenties. Perv.

"I told you I'm bored." Damon repeated without a moments hesitation. "Okay, let me guess." He smirked again, I could hear it in his voice.

"Oh please do!" I replied sarcastically, my eyes focusing on a black car ahead that looked promising.

"It's to do with your boyfriend?" Damon's voice was full of glee, coming across almost malicious.

"I don't have a boyfriend." I breathed, my heart though had sank in my chest. I couldn't do this, I couldn't talk about anything to do with_ him_. Not now and not to Damon. Not to anyone, I remanded myself in my head.

"But you did, right?" He was pushing me, testing me, wanting to find out about _him_. He knew.

"Alaric told you?" I guessed coming to stop in front of the black car, it wasn't as pretty as my bike, wasn't as alluring, but it was certainly better than anything else I'd seen.

"That's right sweetheart." The term of endearment was twisted in Damon's mouth, making it sound more like a profanity than anything else. "That's much better, like I said, you've got taste Isabella." He whispered, his lips at my ear.

I smacked him in the arm and pushed him away. "What's wrong with you? Haven't you ever heard of personal space?" I asked, not nearly as mad as I should have been.

"Of course I have, I was just hoping you wouldn't mind sharing." I looked at him with a frown to see him smiling again, he never gave up or stopped did he?

"Well I do. And Alaric had no right telling you anything." I scowled, but without much heat behind it.

"Ric's my friend, he needed to talk about his poor, broken niece that he'd taken in." Damon's eyes swam with malice and humour. He was enjoying making me mad and upset. Well I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of letting him see me like that, I wouldn't let him see that his words bothered me.

Over the few months since _they'd_ been gone I'd gotten pretty good at wearing a mask to the rest of the world, letting them think that I was fine while really drowning in pain. So to hide, that's what I did again, I put that mask firmly in place.

"Fair enough, though I'd appreciate it if you kept my personal life to yourself." I replied as though I didn't care. My emotions all but shut off.

"You know what they say Isabella?" Damon chuckled next to me as I went to further inspect the car. "The best way to get over a man is to get under another."

I spun to face him, really what was his fucking game? His face held that grin still, those eyebrows raised over his bright blue eyes.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're cute when you're annoyed?" He smirked at me once more.

"Yeah? Well I'm about to get really fucking adorable!" I fumed, who the hell did this guy think he was and why was he being my stalker? "Now haven't you got to go check up on your car or something?"

"You're right I have, but I was just loving this moment we were having Bella." Damon's eyes opened wide again and he stared deep into mine, his pupils dilating, his voice became lower and more commanding as he spoke again. "Go out with me tonight Isabella."

"No." I replied blankly, like hell I'd be seeing this guy again voluntarily.

"Bella?" I heard Elena call me from a few rows away. I was glad she'd realised I wasn't with them, now maybe Damon would leave me alone?

"Damon get away from her." Caroline was next to us in an instant, it was weird I hadn't heard her walking to us and could have sworn she was still next to Elena. I guess I was just being unobservant.

"Chill, I wasn't hurting her Barbie." Damon bit out, angry over something. I almost giggled at his nickname for Caroline but didn't, I liked her, I didn't like him. Well not much anyway.

"Yeah, and I wonder how long that one will last for?" Caroline snapped at him.

Damon groaned with frustration and looked really annoyed with Caroline before facing me again. "Have a think about tonight Bella, you know you want to. After all I am **irresistible**." Damon smirked again.

"Like I said; no." I replied with an innocent smile. He was fun to tease. Shame he was a bit of an ass though.

"Fine, have it your way. But I **will **see you soon Isabella." He shot me a wink before walking back to the garage.

"What did he want?" Elena asked as she reached me and Caroline, alternating between looking me over and glaring at Damon's retreating back. It was almost as though she was worried he had hurt me.

"He was just bored so decided to annoy me for some reason." I replied, smiling warmly at my two new friends. But inside I was still a bit confused about their reactions to Damon, sure he was a jerk, but I could handle jerks. Maybe they thought that I just couldn't deal with anything else after _him_. But I could and I would, I was determined to start living again, even if I didn't feel like it, I was determined that I'd be stronger than ever, strong enough to endure what anyone threw at me from now on.

I mean what was the worst that could happen in Mystic Falls after all? Someone doesn't ask me to the dance?

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V

Damon walked away from the three girls slightly pissed, but even more curious about Isabella Swan. He'd seen that she was broken, crushed by that guy leaving her, she couldn't fool him now that he knew. What he hadn't expected from her was a fiestiness, a willing to put up a fight and have some fun. She had potential.

She'd surprised him as well, she'd stood up to his compulsion. But then again Damon was she that 'uncle' Alaric was slipping her that magic drug that would thwart his plans.

Since he couldn't force her to hang out with him and be his new toy for a while, Damon would just have to charm her into it. And if Damon knew anything, it was that no woman alive could resist his charms when he didn't want them to.

Game on Isabella, Damon thought to himself with a smirk as he looked back over his shoulder to the three girls still stood around the black Charger.

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**I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, and anyone that reviews gets to have their personal space invaded by Damon :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**A massive thanks to everyone who's favourited, followed and especially reviewed this story so far! Damon's for everyone ;) **

**As always I want to thank my beat and friend ArabellaWhitlock who makes my writing spell good. **

**I do not own twilight, and I do not own the Vampire Diaries. I just like playing with the characters. **

**Enjoy the chapter.**

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Firework

Testing

I paid for my brand new car -which the sales man had told me was a 1967 Dodge Charger- with my shiny new card. Caroline didn't get my choice though, she kept asking me if I wouldn't prefer one of the newer sports cars, but I knew that the Dodge I'd picked was just right for me; it was old and used, some parts were in less than mint condition but it was still going. It reminded a bit of myself. Battered and bruised but still plodding along.

I climbed into it, after all the boring paper work had been done and started it up, smiling as it seemed to purr with power under me.

I followed Caroline's car out of Mike's and on to the road, she handled well, as we got onto the deserted forest lined road I decided to test my new car out.

My old Chevy truck back in Forks couldn't go over sixty without spluttering and dying, and as much as I loved the big old rust bucket, I loved speed, it was one of the reasons that I'd enjoyed riding with Jake so much, the speed, the adrenaline rush. So when I pushed my foot down on my new car I grinned at the fact it jumped straight to sixty without any hesitation.

I sped past Caroline and Elena with a huge smile, watching for a second as they both laughed in my rear view mirror. My happy mood only increased as a dark blue car came speeding up behind me in the mirror. It pulled along side of me, revved the engine and started pulling out ahead. I wasn't so naive that I didn't know the owner wanted to race. But I couldn't, I'd been brought up by a cop, I knew the possible outcome of street races, Charlie had been keen to show me pictures of twisted and mangled cars that had participated in such races as soon as I'd got my permit.

Well I couldn't till the jackass cut me up anyway. Then it was game on.

I pushed my foot down and drew along side the blue car, my heart racing as my car inched past seventy. The other car pulled ahead and I stomped my foot right down, I wasn't going to let this asshole get the jump on me.

For five minutes I raced the blue car almost neck to neck down the road, laughing loudly as I did. This was the most fun that I'd had in ages! I was doing it! I was living!

I was. Until I saw it. It was so brief that I could have imagined it, a blur at the side of the road. Moving so fast that it was almost un-noticeable were it not for the flash of red that accompanied it. Was that? It couldn't be, could it? Not here in sunny Mystic Falls where everyone was so nice, where no-one deserved anything bad to ever happen to them. There could not be vampires here surely?

My foot came off the gas as my heart beat wildly in my chest. My breathing became shallow pants as I quickly and carefully took in my surroundings. Just forest, nothing else.

I slowly travelled the road, letting my heart calm down as I did. It was nothing. I sighed to myself. My imagination and nothing more. I was being ridiculous.

Besides I would have seen the sparkles like a disco ball in this light. That more than anything put my mind at ease. I was being paranoid.

There were no vampires here, just my over active imagination.

~0~

Caroline, Elena and me unloaded our bags from Caroline's car once we got back and put them in my room before Caroline headed home, she had a date night with Tyler. She was so excited about it, which was sweet as they'd been together for a while apparently.

Elena helped me put away my clothes and books, smiling, chatting and laughing the entire time. She told me all about meeting Stefan and how in love with him she was, not that I couldn't have told by the shimmer in her eyes whenever she spoke about him. But all the time we were chatting I felt like she was holding back something, keeping something from me. I didn't mind, every relationship held something back for just those two people, it just made me curious.

Eventually Elena went to get ready in her room, Stefan was cooking for her that night and she wouldn't be back till morning. That shocked me a little I admit. But when I asked if Jenna minded Elena just laughed. "I think Jenna's glad that I'm out of her hair sometimes to be honest."

Left alone I went down to the kitchen made myself some dinner and carried it back to my room, eating it while reading one of the new books I'd picked up from the mall in my window seat. For me it was an almost perfect end to a brilliant day. I didn't mind being on my own, in fact I revelled in it after spending so much time with other people recently, something I just wasn't use to doing.

It wasn't that I was a recluse or anything, I liked hanging with certain people, but I also enjoyed spending time on my own. I liked my own company, having peace to just sit and think things through, though recently that had been almost self imposed torture.

I'd been sitting reading my book for a while, long enough so that I was more than a quarter of the way through it, when someone knocking at my door made me jump.

"Come in?" I replied to the knock hesitantly, I wondered who it was considering everyone in the family had been shouting me when they wanted me, something that made me feel even more at home within this family.

"Hey, you okay, we've been calling you?" Alaric asked me anxiously as he stuck his head round the door.

"Sorry! I've been reading and I must have not heard you. I get really caught up when I'm reading a good book. Sorry." I replied, slightly embarrassed, but when I was reading it was like I was in a whole other world, one inhabited by Lords and Ladies, or Dragons and Knights, or... Well you get the idea.

"Bella, stop saying sorry, it's fine. I just thought you'd gone out when I didn't hear anything." Alaric replied with raised eyebrows before his face turned darker, almost like he was going to issue a dressing down to me. "You've got a visitor." He announced looking upset with it.

"What, me?" I asked surprised, who would be coming here to see me? Sure I'd got on with everyone the other night but other than Elena and Caroline I didn't think I'd made any firm friends. Defiantly not the type who'd just pop round to see me, not yet anyway, but I was holding out hope.

"Yeah, you." Alaric rolled his eyes and smirked at me.

"Oh, er... Okay." I climbed off my window seat and followed Alaric down the stairs to my 'visitor' who was waiting for me in the entry way.

Standing there looking like he had every right to be waiting for me was Damon. I groaned out loud. What the hell? He was stalking me!

"What are _you _doing here?" I asked completely bemused, why the hell had he come round? Was it Elena? No it couldn't be, otherwise he'd have told Alaric or Jenna. Maybe he... Okay, I had nothing. I couldn't fathom any reason at all Damon was here wanting to see me.

"Well hello to you too." Damon smirked at me. His brilliant blue eyes popping with mirth; at least he was finding this amusing.

"Yeah, hi. What are you doing here?" I asked again, noticing how Alaric was leant against the wall behind me with his arms crossed.

"I'm here because **you** said that you'd think about going out with me tonight." Damon said, his grin getting wider. I quickly ran through the conversation that we'd had today in my head. Yup I was sure that at no point had I said that I'd think about going out with him.

"No I didn't."

"Okay, I might be paraphrasing. But you **did **think about it." Again with the smirk. And okay, he might have been a little bit right, but I'd decided I wasn't going to. He might have been very good looking and a little funny, but he was annoying and I wasn't ready, I was still broken, I was still hurting, and I had a feeling that going out with Damon for the night, even as just potential friends wouldn't help that at all.

"Yes I did, for all of about ten seconds after you asked me, and replied with a no." I smirked back at him, wanting to beat him at his own game, the only problem was that I was sure that I didn't know the game, let alone the rules to it. "And if I remember correctly, your reply of fine was you accepting that. So why are you here again?" I asked raising an eyebrow, staring him straight in his gorgeous eyes and crossing my arms. I could hear Alaric chucking behind me.

"I thought you might have changed your mind, after all, I am **irresistible**." He was trying for his usual cocky swagger but I could see that I'd upset his equilibrium a bit. And I liked that. I didn't think anyone else had ever matched him jibe for jibe, he didn't seem use to it in any case.

"Ya seem pretty resistible to me. Now if you don't mind I was reading a really good book." I smirked again before turning to head back up the stairs.

"What were you reading?" Damon's voice surprised me for a second, it was without his usual cocky edge to it for once, almost sincere and defiantly shocked.

"To Kill a Mocking Bird." I replied without looking at him and heading back to my room. A smile though was gracing my face as I did; that was more fun than it probably should have been.

~0~

I had gone back to reading for ten minutes before there was another knock at my door. Seemed like I was in demand tonight.

"Yeah?" I called with a smile at my door this time. For some reason I was now in a really good mood.

Alaric popped his head around my door once more, this time with a grin on his face. "Hey, how you doing?" He asked me, fishing for something.

"Good." I answered with my own smile back at him.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course, please, sure." I started rambling, this was his house after all.

Alaric rolled his eyes at me before stepping into my room and taking a seat on the bed after looking around. "So you saw Damon today then?" He asked trying to sound casual but failing and also reminding me of my dad slightly. Something that caused a wistful pang. I did miss Charlie, more than I would have thought.

"Yeah, he was at the garage when I was buying my car." I said slowly, wanting to know where he was going with this.

"You know... Damon, he's..." Alaric started saying before stopping and running his hand through his floppy brown hair.

"A jackass?" I guessed making Alaric smirk at me.

"Pretty much, yeah. I'm so not going to tell you what to do, not my place. But if you do start seeing Damon... Well just be careful..." Alaric sounded like he was trying to say something without actually saying it. Something along the lines of Damon was bad news I guessed.

"You've really got nothing to worry about there. Damon annoys me, he's fun to tease but I'm pretty sure that the fun would end there. So really, nothing to be careful about." I said sincerely, though the words caused a slight pang that I knew was a really bad thing, so I did the only thing I could, I ignored it.

"If you say so." Alaric said but sounded sceptical, he stood to leave but turned back to me at the door. "Jenna and me are watching some crappy film if you fancy it?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks." I smiled, feeling like I was finally finding my place, the one where I really fit in and I liked that.

~0~

The rest of my week in my new life carried on in a similar manner to my first three days and I found myself thriving. I'd go to the grill with Bonnie, Caroline, Elena and Stefan, twice Matt, Tyler and Jeremy joined us and once they didn't. But it was nice, I really felt like I made friends which for me in such a short space of time was amazing.

Today though - Saturday - I was doing something for the first time which made me really nervous. I was going to my first ever teenage party.

It was being called a back to school party, but I got the impression the kids in Mystic Falls didn't really need much of an excuse. Tyler was the one throwing it as his mum was off on council business apparently, whatever that was.

When I'd first been invited, by Tyler, I politely declined, it really wasn't my thing. But Alaric, Jenna, Elena and Stefan had talked me round.

"You've got to go to the party Bella, think of it as a kick start to social life in Mystic Falls." Jenna told me with a smirk.

"Go have fun, enjoy yourself, do something really irresponsible and don't regret it. Live." Alaric.

"You've got to come Bells! I need you there!" Elena, tried but when I'd raised my eyebrows at her she caved. "Okay, I don't _need _you there, but I do want you there, pretty please, with a cherry on the top?" She made the cutest puppy dog eyes to me and fake pouted.

"You should go Bella, the more people you know when you start school the better, right?" Stefan told me, his words said with his usual serious face. It was weird he only really had serious face, in love with Elena face, laughing or brooding face. It kind of reminded me of Jasper, he use to look like he was in pain a lot of the time too. I wondered what Stefan's story was, he didn't have any parents or guardians, just Damon, and he didn't seem like the responsible big brother somehow.

So here I was at Bonnie's house getting ready for the party with her, Elena and Caroline. And despite my reservations I was having fun. The girls had put on some music and were dancing round, talking over each other and fighting for mirror space the entire time. And me... I actually was joining in. And enjoying it.

"Okay, Bella be honest, have you seen any guys around that you think are hot?" Caroline asked me with a giggly laugh as I pushed my way to the mirror to curl my hair. Apparently I had to make an impression.

Yes. "No" I responded not looking at anyone as I did.

"Oh my god! That is totally a yes! Who is it? Oh no wait let me guess! Erm... Matt! Is it Matt? You guys would look totally hot together! And he's really great, if you get me." Caroline smirked at me, her voice going a mile a minute again, no filter. Her words automatically made me blush. Sure Matt was cute, in a boy next door kind of way, but he really didn't interest me, and anyway even if he had done, I still wasn't ready, and he still wouldn't want me. No-one did.

"No Caroline, I don't think of Matt like that." I said while rolling my eyes and continuing to curl my hair. Now though I had three sets of eyes staring intently at me.

"So who? Spill!" Bonnie asked me excitedly.

"No-one. Really!" I added as they all looked at me sceptically. "Honestly! Even if there was I'm not ready. I'm really not ready. Ed... He, he messed me up. And I need to get over that before I can even think about another guy." My voice held a sadness even to my own ears.

Elena looked sympathetic before giving me a quick hug from behind, she really was a genuinely nice person.

"I know you broke up and everything... But what happened there?" Bonnie asked, her eyes full of sadness and empathy.

"He broke up with me in the middle of the woods back home, told me how... How I wasn't good for him... How I was just a distraction... Then he left... His family... Especially his sister, they were my best friends... They didn't even say goodbye. He... He left me in the woods and I got lost... My dad sent a search party out looking for me." I trailed off as tears filled my eyes, it still hurt, not as much but it still hurt. What hurt the most was that he'd left me in the woods, the place he'd warned me not to go. Yeah, that was a jerk move.

"What a dick!" Caroline spat out, her eyes hard and her voice mean.

"Uh-huh, he's a douche Bella! And if he didn't realise what he had then he's a fool too! I can't believe he left you in the middle of the woods! What a prick!" Bonnie seemed just as mad.

"If he was too stupid to see what he had then he's not even worth another tear! And tonight Bella, you're gonna have every available guy at the party standing in line wishing they were as lucky as he was. His loss, not yours." Elena was kind, her words sounded sincere and the fire in her eyes surprised me, but she was wrong. It was my loss, all mine. I was just another pathetic, average human and he was a god. A god I'd never deserved. He was wrong, and he had acted like a prick leaving me like he did, but I was defiantly the loser in the situation, not him.

~0~

When we pulled up outside of Tyler's mansion, or that's what it seemed like to me, the party was defiantly in full swing. Music blasted so loud that we could hear it thumping out of the house, party goers were spilling out on to the neatly manicured lawn out front and dancing bodies could be seen through the windows. I wasn't sure whether to cry off or get out and dance too. It was both scary and exciting at the same time.

"Let's go!" Caroline declared as she parked up outside the house, a huge grin lighting her pretty face.

I followed the three girls into the house, into rooms packed with dancing, sweaty bodies, everyone having a good time. I felt embarrassed as people turned and openly stared at me as we walked through the party to the kitchen where the girls had arranged to meet their boyfriends. Being the new girl sucked, but at least this time I already had friends to help me through it.

I watched with a small smile as the girls greeted their respective partners, all of them smiling gently at their other half's, relaxing as they are together again. Something niggles at my mind, some memory that I want to ignore but can't.

When I was with _him _I didn't relax, not ever, I couldn't. I was always worried about his reactions to what I'd say or, worried that I'd make myself look stupid or naïve. I was more on edge around him and his family than I had ever been. At the time I'd taken that intensity to mean that I'd found someone who held my attention, who made me want to know everything about him, who made me want to be better for him. Watching the couples in front of me though I realised that whatever was between us wasn't natural, wasn't right. We hadn't fit, we'd grinded like two cogs out of synch but trying to mesh together anyway. I'd never relaxed around him like Elena did with Stefan or Jeremy did with Bonnie. That was sad.

My heart still hurt, the hole was still painful in my chest, but I was starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe _he _hadn't done me a favour after all?

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V

Damon watched as every boy in the party looked to the new brunette with interest and most with lust. She was too hot for her own good. Damon should know.

The dark haired man watched as the girl stood at the edge of things, looking like she wanted to get involved but couldn't. He sighed, she was a mystery, and at first that had excited him, but now it just annoyed him. Why couldn't she just act like every other normal teenager here? He'd know how to act then, how to deal with her, how to win her over. So far he hadn't been exactly successful, and that more than anything stung him. He was hot, he knew he was, and he was charming in his own way, girls loved the bad boy act he had going for him. But not this girl. Why?

Caroline approached Bella with a huge smile on her pretty face, two beers held in her hand as she stood with her newest friend and watched her two eldest dance in the living room together.

Caroline offered Bella the beer. "Thanks but I shouldn't." Bella replied with a small smile while biting her lip, obviously wanting too.

"Why not?" Caroline's face screwed up in confusion, was Bella a closet alcoholic or something?

"I've never drank before." Bella muttered so quietly that if Caroline didn't have super hearing she wouldn't have been able to discern the words.

"Oh my god! What never?" Caroline was shocked, sure Bella was shy, but she must have been to parties before, she was too pretty and nice not to have been invited and where there was a party there was alcohol.

"Nope." Bella responded popping the 'p', the now familiar blush spreading up her cheeks and down her long, graceful neck. _Hmmm... I wonder just how far that blush goes down? _Damon thought to himself as he watched the two girls talking, listening intently.

"Well, we're gonna change that right now! Here drink!" Caroline demanded pushing the bottle of cold beer in to Bella's hand.

Bella took the bottle and looked down at it dubiously. "C'mon, what's the worse that can happen with us here? You get a monster hang over in the morning? At least you can say that you've done it!" Caroline persuaded her friend, she wasn't being pushy, or she wasn't trying to but Bella needed to let loose. She was fun when she let her guard down, slipping into a friendship with three close friends effortlessly, beer would help her let her guard down and make more friends, the blonde was sure of it. Also a drunk Bella? That was something she really wanted to see.

Damon watched the exchange and rolled his eyes, she'd never drank before? Was she even a teenager? Was she even human? The thought caught him hard. Was she? She'd been able to resist his compulsion, the taste of vervain had been so hot it almost burnt her, and her reactions were of someone much older than seventeen.

Maybe getting Bella drunk would be a good idea. If she let her guard drop then maybe Damon could find out more about her?

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**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or just want to say hey then give me a review. They make me happy. :) until next time, love always, Tametiger x**


	6. Chapter 6

**Again another thank you to anyone who's favourited, followed and especially reviewed this story so far. Knowing you guys are enjoying it makes me write faster! **

**As always I want to thank my amazing beta and friend ArabellaWhitlock. Love you!**

**I own nothing, if I did I'd be rich. Which I'm not. :(**

**Enjoy :)**

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Firework

Party On

I took the beer, Caroline was right, what was the worse that could happen here in Mystic Falls with friends surrounding me? I trusted these people to take care of me, to look out for me but not to control me, not something I was use to, but something that comforted me.

I took my first drink of beer and winced. God that was awful. Caroline who had been watching me let out a laugh. "Yeah, it takes some getting use to. Just keep drinking, it gets better." She grinned at me.

I trusted her and by the end of the bottle the beer did taste a little better, though not by much. Caroline magically had another bottle in her hand which she handed to me, her eyes lighting up as I took it without hesitation this time and started drinking.

"Okay! Now we _have _to dance!" She told me, grabbing me by the arm in a surprisingly strong grip and dragging me to the makeshift dance floor, joining Elena and Bonnie.

"I don't dance!" I protested with a smile.

"Everyone dances Bella!" Caroline told me with an eye roll taking my empty hand and twirling me around. I giggled out loud and gave in, dancing with my three new friends.

I danced for four songs, enjoying myself more than I'd thought possible, taking the drinks that were handed to me, laughing out loud and shaking my body like everyone else.

As a slow song started I stepped away from the dance floor and stood against the wall watching the couples wrapped up in each other with sad eyes and sipped my beer. All of a sudden I felt lonely. A pang of emptiness ripped through the hole in my chest.

"Yeah, sickening isn't it?" A voice came through loud in my ear, I didn't need to look to find out who the owner of the voice belonged to, the cocky tone gave him away.

"I think it's sweet." I responded without taking my eyes away from the couples who were so obviously in love on the dance floor.

"So the ex hasn't jaded you then?" Damon sounded slightly surprised.

"Oh he has, men suck. But that, those people in their own world, so wrapped up in each other that no-one else even exists for them right now, that's sweet." I said before taking a large gulp of beer. "Of course the men in those couples will mostly turn out to be dicks who deserve to burn."

I heard Damon's deep laugh in my ear and felt it vibrate throughout me. "How old are you?" He asked, I could actually hear the rise of his eyebrows in his voice.

"Seventeen, how old are you?" I asked, boldened slightly by the alcohol racing through my system.

"Twenty four." It was said with a laugh in his voice, one that mimicked _there _laughs when mere humans asked their ages. An inside joke that I'd once been privy to.

I felt him leave and a wave of disappointment washed over me, he might be an ass but I enjoyed verbally sparring with Damon, he kept me on my toes and I liked that. That and now I was alone again, alone with an empty beer and my thoughts, not a good combination.

"Here." Damon's voice was suddenly back in my ear making me jump as a fresh beer was put into my hand, the empty taken away.

"Thanks." I said in a bit of surprise, I hadn't pegged him as ever doing anything for anything else, maybe I had Damon wrong?

"So, Alaric told me that you don't like Vervain?" Damon's voice was almost mocking me now, and for the first time since he joined me I turned to face him, stumbling a bit as I did but catching myself before I could fall over. I didn't know if it was my natural clumsiness taking over or the beer which was warming my stomach now and starting to make everything better, starting to make me want to laugh and dance. "Now why would that be, hmm?" Damon's eyes were looking deep into my own, his head leant down and only centimetres from mine.

"Cause it tastes nasty? And why is the fact I don't like a vitamin a problem with anyone? I'll stock up on multi-vitamins and make sure to eat my five a day." I responded with a role of my eyes.

Damon was watching me with furrowed eyebrows, his baby blue eyes taking in my face with intensity as though trying to work something out but failing.

"C'mon, let's dance." I said as a more lively song came on; I'd got a taste for dancing and for the beer. Why had I never done this before? It was awesome.

Damon surprised me by joining me on the dance floor and actually dancing pretty well, who knew?

He carried on bantering with me the entire time and I found myself genuinely enjoying his company. He was still a jerk, but he was making me laugh like I hadn't in a long while.

Eventually, I decided I needed a breather, that and I'd fallen more times than I could count, making Damon laugh every time. I'd just glared at him which made him laugh even harder.

"You move pretty well for someone so un-coordinated." Damon said as he followed me out on to Tyler's lawn where I was glad of the cold air chilling my over heated skin. The cold air also made me realise that I was drunk, not tipsy, drunk. Damn, how had that happened?

"And you move pretty well for someone who acts as though a stick needs removing from their ass and then smacking round their face." I sniggered.

"Hey! That's not nice!" Damon said with his permanent smirk plastered on to his face. "Why would you want to do anything that would damage this face."

I snorted at that. "I'm hot and you know it Bella." Damon carried on and again I let out a laugh.

"Hey, how come it's just you and Stefan? Where are you're parents?" I asked after a few minutes silence, noticing with a wince that my S's were slightly slurred, so not attractive.

"Dead." Damon replied with no smirk this time.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, feeling bad that I brought it up.

"Did you kill them?" Damon asked me sounding harsher than usual, I quickly shook my head wide eyed. "Then don't be sorry."

Again we lapsed back into silence. After a minute my legs decided not to support me anymore and I ended up falling on my ass onto the grass. Deciding that moving right now might not be such a good thing I sat and glared at Damon who was basically pissing himself laughing. It reminded me of Emmett who use to laugh at the clumsy human. Sadness swept over me again, my emotions heightened by the beer I assumed as tears threatened to swamp my eyes and a tightness settled onto my chest.

"What's with the waterworks? That can't have hurt, you're wasted." Damon asked me with a scowl.

"It didn't hurt." I said, but what they'd done did, still.

"Then what's wrong?" Damon sounded exasperated, as though he couldn't be really bothered to listen to an explanation but felt like he needed to ask for one.

"Doesn't matter." I mumbled, willing my tears away but not being able to do anything about the heaviness on my chest.

"What is it Bella?" Damon asked again, his voice annoyed.

"Nothing. I'm good. Let's go back and have some more beer." I struggled to get to my feet, falling a couple of times in the process.

"Is it the ex?" Damon asked me, his eyes narrowed in thought, a softness spreading across his features as I failed to stand and sank back onto the floor. "And you **really **don't need to drink anymore klutz."

"It's not just him, it's his family too." I muttered looking down at the grass as I felt the tears gathering again.

A huge sigh echoed around the lawn before the soft thump of a body sitting next to me made me look up again. Damon was sat studying me. "Okay, I'm listening tell me **everything**." He insisted sounding a little like a girl wanting gossip but a little annoyed too. I didn't get this guy everything he did or said was at odds to something else he did.

"There's nothing to tell, he left me, they left me. And I'm not suppose to be upset, I'm suppose to be living apparently. Doing something stupid and not regretting it." I thought back to what Alaric had said to me.

"What stupid thing do you want to do then brown eyed girl?" Damon asked me sounding interested. "And one of these days you're gonna tell me about the ex and co."

"Nothing to tell, like I said. I don't know what stupid things I want to do. This seems pretty stupid to me." I replied.

"What talking to me? That's not stupid, that's **incredibly **smart." Damon said smiling but I saw something in those baby blue eyes, hurt maybe?

"No, not talking to you, though I'm not sure that's smart. I mean getting drunk, partying." I told him.

"And that's possibly the saddest thing I've ever heard. C'mon, let's get even more loaded and do something really stupid!" He wiggled his eyebrows at me making me laugh and got to his feet. He held out his hand for me which I took, I needed help getting up desperately.

What I hadn't expected was what just taking hold of his hand would do.

As soon as my warm skin and his touched it felt like electric sparks were travelling down my hand to my scar and lighting it on fire, it burned in a delicious way, making heat travel all through me. What the hell?

Damon was looking at our entwined hands in confusion too, as though he could also feel whatever the hell was going on with my freaky hand and scar.

A moment passed before he pulled me to my feet and let go of my hand. The heat disappeared instantly and it was almost like I'd lost something important, something special for a second. Until Damon spoke again and we started walking back to the party that is, then I all but forgot about the moment.

"Come on trippy." Damon said heading back to the party.

"What's with all the nicknames?" I asked while tripping over my own feet, thankfully his back was turned to me so he didn't see.

"I'm trying to find one I like." He replied as though it was the most obvious thing ever. I didn't get guys.

~0~

I'd gone to the bathroom which was blissfully quite and tried to stop the room spinning for just a minute. I was having fun, but maybe I needed a glass of water or two before I had more fun? That seemed like a good idea.

Damon had lived up to his promise, he'd got me more drunk, made me dance on a table with him, had me laughing hysterically and doing basically every stupid thing he could think of. Only a couple I'd put my foot down and said no to, like trying to do the worm for example, that just had trip to hospital written all over it.

I was sticking my head under the cold water tap when my phone started ringing making me jump up and my head bang onto the porcelain sink. Surprisingly it didn't hurt, just made me giggle. Alcohol was brilliant at making my accidents painless, maybe I should drink more often?

"Helloooo..." I answered the phone with another giggle while propping myself against the bath on the floor. Maybe if I sat still for a minute the spinning would stop?

"Bella?" A familiar voice asked hesitantly down the line, as though they couldn't work out if it was really me or not.

"This is she." I answered.

"What's wrong with you? You sound funny?" The voice asked me, but I couldn't work out who it was still. Maybe alcohol wasn't such a great idea after all.

"I'm a little bit beered up." Another giggle. "And who is this?"

"Jesus Bells, it's Jake." Okay that right there stopped the room spinning.

"Jake, why are you ringing me? I thought you didn't want to be friends anymore?" My voice was harsh, but my anger levels were rising as was my hurt. He dumped me just like they had and now here he was talking to me like nothing had happened, like he had a right to be on the end of the line.

"I'm ringing because you're in danger Bells." Jakes voice had an edge to it.

"Okay, I'm not the only one who's been drinking am I?" I asked what did he know about the type of danger I was in, had been in?

"There are vampires after you Bella." Now I was stone cold sober, more or less, my heartbeat sped up and I started breathing heavily. What? Were they finally coming for me? But how did Jake know? He didn't know anything about it, anything about that world. Maybe he was just trying to get me to admit to something? I wished I could think straight.

"Okay, you're on drugs too." I tried joking, but my voice was flat, terrified.

"Don't play games with me Bella, I haven't got time, you know what I'm talking about. There's a red head searching for you, she's working with some others, they seem younger though, stupider, and some of them have disappeared, we think they're looking for you away from Forks. Be careful, I'm getting a plane out to you tomorrow, but until then don't be alone, don't go out into the woods, don't do anything stupid." What, what? Huh? I couldn't... What... I was at a loss for words, this was ridiculous, I must have be having another nightmare.

"Jake..." I went to protest that he was crazy again, that nothing was trying to hurt me. But I didn't know what to say, how to say it. This whole thing was insane! How did Jake know? And why would he think vampires were coming here if the one that was really after me was still in Forks?

"I'll be there tomorrow night Bella." With that he hung up and left me in a daze on the floor. What the hell was I gonna do?

~0~

What I'd done was get more drunk, let loose and enjoyed myself, if I was going to die soon I might as well live first, right?

"Bella! Time to go!" Caroline's urgent voice screeched in my ear before her hand closed round my arm and she started pulling me away from the people I was talking to, none of which I could remember the names of.

"What, why? I don't wanna go! I'm having fun!" I protested, stumbling as Caroline dragged me to the door, her face was worried, almost scared in fact. I started sobering a little, what was wrong?

"We've just got to go. Now!" She urged me.

"Hang on, where's everyone else?" I asked pulling my arm free of her iron grip, that was gonna leave a bruise in the morning for sure.

"Stefan got Elena, Bonnie and Jeremy back to his, come on Bella, we've got to go!" Caroline pleaded trying to grab me again but I tripped out of her way.

"What about Matt, Tyler and Damon?" I asked searching frantically for them, but still not having a clue why. "What's going on Caroline?"

"Look, there's... There's some dicks trying to crash the party... Erm... They'll try and... Er... Start fights and people might get hurt, we've got to go! Matt and Tyler are fine Bella, and Damon can take care of himself, though why you care is anyone's guess. Now come on! Move it!" Wow, that was the lameiest excuse ever.

"So call the cops! What about the other people here! We can't just leave them! And this is Tyler's house we can't let people wreck it!" I argued planting my feet stubbornly. "And by the way you suck at lying, what's really going on?"

Caroline groaned in frustration and swept her long blonde hair out of her face. "I`m a terrible liar... I`m even worse at duplicity." She sighed. "Look, we'll tell you everything, we will but first off you've got to leave!"

I looked at her face, frustration, worry and fear written clear across it. Why was she so scared, I'd worked out it wasn't because of some random gang of people coming to start fights. That lie sucked. But what was going on? My brain was so fuzzy from the alcohol that I couldn't work out what to do for the best here. Stay and try to help these people? Make sure the police were called? But for what, what was so urgent? I didn't get it.

"Please, just tell me what's going on!" I asked, scared, confused and dizzy.

"Blondie! Why haven't you got out of here yet!?" Damon's angry voice was soon followed by his pissed off face standing next to Caroline.

"Bella won't leave!" Caroline replied sounding frustrated and close to tears.

"Then **make** her leave!" Damon said with an incredulous edge to his voice, as though it was the most obvious course of action.

"I can't just make her can I?" Caroline spat back.

"She is standing right here! What's going on?!" I looked between the two of them, my feet firmly stuck in place on the floor and my arms crossed over my chest. I was starting to get annoyed.

Damon looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Fine." He growled at Caroline before sweeping my feet from under me and catching my head before it hit the ground, then he was rushing me out of the house, his eyes alert for something and Caroline jogging to keep up behind us, her eyes also sweeping round us as we stepped into the cold air.

"Damon! Put me down!" I demanded, trying to wiggle out of his grip.

"No, now shut up, I'm trying to listen!" He hissed at me, his arms tightening round me as I was still struggling.

"For what!? What the hell is going on!" I shouted, this was taking a turn for the weird, and in my life that was saying something.

"I **will** gag you. Now be quite." Damon's voice dropped to a whisper, his footsteps slowed as we approached Caroline's car which she'd parked right next to the woods.

"Damon..." Caroline said, her voice a whisper too, it came out strangled and terrified though.

"Get Bella and get out of here! Now!" Damon roared before dropping me on my feet and sprinting off into the trees.

Caroline started whimpering and grabbed my arm, she picked me up just like Damon had done, as though I weighed no more than a kitten. Suddenly we were flying. Or that's what it felt like. Wind was rushing past us, shapes blurring before my eyes, my skin pulled back from my face by the strong wind, which was weird when there hadn't been any before.

The strange sensation stopped as instantly a house popped up in front of us. A huge gothic looking mansion that seemed like it had stepped right out of a horror movie.

"W.. Wh..?" I couldn't speak, what the hell? That was like... That was like running with _him _had been, but faster. What was going on here!?

"It's okay Bella. We're at the Salvatore Boarding House, we'll be safe here." Caroline spoke slowly to me, like she was talking to a small, hysterical child.

"Salvatore Boarding House?" I managed to stutter out as Caroline put me back on my feet and guided me to the double oak doors.

"Damon and Stefan's house." Caroline said as she pushed the door open and walked inside. I followed slowly, my mind racing, but nothing was making any sense, it was just a mush of gibberish and fear.

"Damon! We've got to make sure he's okay." I said turning back around and looking at the woods, what was in there? What was Damon facing, and why?

"Trust me, Damon can take care of himself. Going back out there is just going to get us killed. C'mon." Caroline said softly taking my hand and leading me into a large, homely looking study or living room, I wasn't quite sure which. Sat on couches and in chairs looking worried were the gang. I felt a burst of relief as I saw that everyone was safe. Well everyone but Damon anyway.

"Bella!" Elena said looking as relieved as I felt and she rushed to me, sweeping me up into a strong hug. She was closely followed by Bonnie and Jeremy.

After we'd done with the whole hugging, happy we were all safe thing I looked at everyone in the room. "So anyone wanna tell me what the hell's going on?"

"Didn't Caroline tell you?" Elena said, stalling for time.

"Caroline promised me that you'd all tell me once we got here. Which we did by the strangest way ever." I frowned, I didn't like being kept in the dark.

"What did you do?" Stefan asked Caroline with a frown, his face slightly annoyed.

"I ran!" Caroline said and carried on when Stefan threw his hands in the air. "I had to! There was one waiting for us at the car! Damon told me to get here!" She pouted and looked pleadingly at everyone.

"Damon's out there with them!?" Stefan was alert now, he sat up straighter and looked worried.

"Yeah." Caroline said going to Tyler and climbing into his arms.

"Hang on a second. What are _they_?" I asked, what did everyone know that I didn't?

Everyone started exchanging looks, except for Stefan who was looking carefully at me, searching for something, though for what I didn't know.

"They're vampires Bella." He said quietly.

"Say that again." I asked blankly. I must have misheard. I must have.

"They are vampires Bella." Stefan repeated his voice clear.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

"Hand over the girl and we'll leave you alone." The disco ball growled out at Damon, it's red eyes flashing. Somehow Damon didn't quite believe that they'd be left alone for some reason.

"You think I'm handing over Elena to a fairy? Not gonna happen." Damon replied with a smirk.

"You should do well to watch your tongue human. We're not fairies, we're your worse nightmare." The glitter ball threatened again, his words as clear as bells. It was extremely irritating for the dark haired vampire, especially with his brilliant hearing and everything.

"I know you're vampires, dick. And I'm not human, nor will you ever give me nightmares. Like I said I'm not handing over Elena, so walk away while you still can." Damon smirked again while leaning against a tree, not worried at all.

"We don't want her, keep her, consider her a peace offering. We want the other girl." The red eyed sparkling vampire responded with his own smirk. Maybe this man wasn't human, but he wasn't scared, nothing could hurt him. Nothing. And when he delivered the girl to Victoria he could have all the blood he wanted. She promised.

"What other girl?" Damon asked confused, as far as he knew his brothers girlfriend was the only girl he knew that supernatural things wanted. Though he couldn't work out why a parasite like this dick would want her. Her blood wasn't that special.

"Isabella. Edwards mate, she's the one we want." The cold one replied.

"Huh? Bella?" Now Damon was really confused. The shy girl that for some reason interested him so much? No way was she involved with cold ones. She wouldn't still be alive, let alone so innocent if she was.

"Yes, hand her over to us and we let the rest of you live." This guy had taken his dialogue from old gangster movies right? The bad ones.

"Yeah, sorry that's not gonna happen either. You see she bugs me. And I wanna know why." Damon replied honestly. She really got under his skin, and he wanted to see if he could get under her clothes. The innocent thing? That was hot.

"Then we'll just take her." Pink eye told the dark haired man.

"I love it when the bad guys make threats. It means I can kill them and not have anyone tell me that I'm a dick for it. Win, win." Damon smirked before transforming in front of the cold one. Dark veins appeared around his eyes and fangs, lethal looking, grew out of his mouth.

The red eyed cold one stepped back, what was this thing? He'd never been told about something like this. This was what he'd always imagined a real vampire to look like.

Feeling a frisson of fear run up his spine Riley took another step back, preparing to turn and run. But the dark haired man was faster.

Screams accompanied by loud ripping noises echoed round the forest.

* * *

**So... What d'ya think? Loved it, hated it, comments, questions? I'd LOVE to hear from you! :) until next time Love always, Tametiger x**


	7. Chapter 7

**You guys are freaking amazing! Thank you to everyone who reviewed or alerted this story! I'm gonna try my hardest to get two chapters out this week for you all as a thank you! **

**As always I wanna thank ArabellaWhitlock for making this chapter make sense :) you rock lady! **

**I own nothing. Despite wishing on a shooting star :( **

* * *

Firework

All's Fair

"Okay, okay... Okay." I said, freaking out a little bit. They'd found me, somehow I'd been found and I was dragging all these kind people into this with me. Elena and Jeremy who'd accepted me into their home and their family with nothing but love and friendship. Caroline who'd become a friend to me in only a week. Stefan, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler, Damon... Damon!

"I've got to go." I said before trying to run for the door, maybe if I ran they'd catch my scent, they'd come after me and leave Damon alone. I couldn't let him die, not because of me.

"Hold on! You're not going anywhere!" Caroline said standing in front of me faster than should have been possible. "It's not safe out there! Look I know you're freaking out and you probably think we're insane, but please, please don't go out there Bella."

"You don't understand..." I trailed off, hang on, how did they know about vampires? What was going on here?

It didn't matter how they knew, I had to get to them, I had to try and save Damon, if they hadn't killed him already. I couldn't think like that, they wouldn't have killed him, not yet, they'd use him as bait for me. I hoped.

"No you don't understand Bella, it really isn't safe out there." Elena said softly to me.

"I know I believe you, but Damon's out there... They'll hurt him..." I said, I needed to get out of here but Caroline was still blocking my way and the others looked like they were ready to jump up and get in my way any second.

"Bella's right. I'm going to go help him." Stefan said looking worried and standing up.

"No!" I shouted. "Let me go, please." I couldn't let anyone take my place here. They were here for me, I had to go and face them. I always knew it was going to end like this, and really I was living on borrowed time anyway.

"Bella..." Stefan started saying but he was cut of by a deep velvet voice full of cockiness.

"Yeah... Bella... Someone's got some explaining to do." Damon said in a singsong voice.

"Damon!" I gasped out. Never had I been so happy to see anyone before in my life. The relief hit me so fast that I felt dizzy. My knees gave way and Caroline caught me.

"Glad to see someone's happy to see me for once. Of course I am **awesome**.." Damon smirked at me as Caroline and Jeremy sat me in a chair and Stefan pushed a glass of some amber liquid in to my hand with a soft look.

"How many?" Stefan asked Damon seriously as I took a sip of the burning liquor. It tasted foul, but then so had beer to start with and I'd gotten use to that fast enough. I couldn't figure out my thoughts so I just concentrated on the alcohol feeling slightly numb inside. This was just too much, I got away from all of this right? It was gone. I wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. Wishful thinking.

"There were four, there's two now but they hightailed it out of here." Damon replied pouring himself a drink from the bar then turning to look at me with a shrewd look. "The strangest thing though is that they were cold ones."

"Cold ones?" Bonnie asked looking confused.

"Different type of vampire, slower, weaker and they glitter in the sun. Tragic really." Damon smirked. "And do you know who they wanted?"

"Damon what are you talking about?" Jeremy asked.

"Well it wasn't you Van Helsing, Witchy there wasn't their target either. They didn't want the doppleganger, wolf boy or Blondie. And neither Saint Stefan or my amazing self have pissed anyone off recently. No they were here for 'Edward's mate'." His words made my head snap up, shock taking over my body. It couldn't have been _them _could it? Were they back looking for me? Oh God had Damon killed two of them? How had Damon killed them? What was going on?

"Edward..? You're ex Bella...?" Bonnie asked sounding very confused, she should join the club.

"Yeah Bella? You're ex?" Damon asked, sounding slightly pissed off now. Not that I blamed him.

"Hang on, you're ex was a vampire?" Matt asked me looking as confused as the rest of us. "No wonder you fit in so well..." He muttered so low that I thought I might have misheard him.

"What colour eyes did they have...?" I asked in barely more than a whisper, my body shaking and I couldn't stop it.

"The same as all cold ones; red." Damon replied his forehead creased into a frown.

"Not all cold ones have red eyes. Some have gold." I told him, looking at just him, it was easier than watching everyone else's faces as well.

"Gold?" Damon asked me. "You better start talking Klutz." He almost sounded threatening, but not quite.

"If they live on a diet of animal blood then their eyes turn gold." I said, I couldn't believe I was talking about this. I was giving away their secrets. Well, so what, they left; an inner voice taunted me and pushed me on, it was right, they'd left me.

"Hmm... So you're ex hunted thumper too?" Damon asked.

"More like mountain lions." I mumbled.

"That's gotta be more satisfying than a squirrel Stef." Damon smirked at his brother.

"What?" I asked looking in-between the two brothers. They weren't saying what I thought they were. Were they? No they couldn't be. I'd seen them eat, I'd seen them drink, their eyes, they were normal not gold or anything.

"So no-one's filled her in?" Damon sounded exasperated now looking round the room at everyone.

"No Damon. How do we tell someone what we know? How does someone hear that?" Elena asked Damon her voice rising with the tension in the room.

"Easy." Damon replied with a roll of his eyes. "Bella... Stefan the hero, Blondie and me, we're vampires. Tyler there is a werewolf and Judgy is a witch. There you are simple."

"What!? Are you insane? You aren't vampires. I know vampires. And werewolves, witches? Are you guys crazy? Are you winding me up?" I asked the people in front of me, this was just too much. Were they taking the piss out of me cause they knew I knew about vampires? Cause if they were it wasn't funny.

"Don't worry Bella, I know this sounds insane, but with any luck you'll be freshly compelled and back in your own bed tonight, and this won't even be a horrible dream." Caroline smiled widely at me.

"Compelled...? What does that mean?" I asked.

"Means we mess with your head, your memories, change them around make you forget all of this." Damon explained to me casually. "But we can't compel you."

"What, of course we can. Why can't we?" Caroline asked looking at Damon with a frown on her otherwise perfect face. "She's freaking out, let's help her and make her forget."

"You guys are mental." I said drinking more of my whiskey, or bourbon, whatever it was.

"Good plan. Try it." Damon said with his arms crossed and motioned to me.

Caroline glared at him before walking over to me and kneeling in front of me. Her eyes bored straight into mine, I really wanted to know where she was going with this so I sat and let her do whatever she was trying to. Whatever it was it wasn't going to work. She wasn't a vampire.

Her eyes dilated, and she started talking in a slow strong voice. "You will forget that vampires were after you. You won't remember coming here or any of this conversation. You will only remember the party. You will think we came here because the cops busted the party." Caroline told me.

"Well that didn't prove anything. What was it supposed to do?" I asked, slightly more at ease now. I could go along with a joke even if it was a stupid one.

"What!? How did you resist it? Are you wearing vervain?" Caroline asked me shocked and a little angry as well it seemed.

"What! Why would I be wearing a vitamin? You guys are crazy. Sorry." I said, what did a vitamin have to do with anything?

"You knew?" Elena asked Damon, ignoring Caroline's outburst.

"Obviously." Damon drawled with an eye roll. "But no-one listens to me till I'm right. Then it's all 'ooh Damon, you were right! We're so sorry! You're amazing Damon!'" He put on a high pitched girly voice that despite everything had me holding back a laugh.

"You tried to compel her before?" Matt asked, but it sounded more like a statement.

"Well done quarterback, you've finally caught on..." Damon smirked back sarcastically.

"How then? If she's not wearing or using Vervain?" Stefan asked with a brooding look, that wasn't so different from his normal look.

"That's what I want to know brother." Damon said looking at me.

"You're all insane and this joke has gone way too far. I'm going home now." I declared standing up and heading for the door. A blur came at me though and stopped dead in front of me. Damon. He'd moved faster than... Okay... That wasn't normal. And how Caroline and I had arrived here? Maybe there was something in this after all. "How...? You guys eat and drink, you don't sparkle, your eyes?"

"I know we're amazing!" Damon smirked at me. "How about this, you answer our questions and we won't kill you?"

I rolled my eyes at that, did he really think that would scare me? Obviously it didn't, because he was lying. "If you wanted me dead you'd have handed me over to the others. And you don't scare me. I've lived with vampires that don't hide their bloodlust, I'm not gonna be scared of Anne Rice vamps."

"Now that was a book." Damon agreed with me with his trademark smirk. "Okay how about we play this quid pro quo?"

"Clarice." I added for him. "Fine." I accepted I wanted to know more, and I really did owe him for not handing me over to the vampires that were trying to kill me.

"Okay, you first. Why can't we compel you?" Damon asked me seriously, both of us still stood facing each other.

"I really don't know." I answered thinking hard. Why couldn't they control my mind? My mind? My thoughts! There was something there, something about my thick head. "I have a theory though, or half of one anyway."

"Go on." Damon replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Right you know that vampires have abilities I'm assuming?" I really hoped I wasn't giving away trade secrets here, but considering Damon thought he was a vampire I was guessing that I wasn't.

"You mean cold ones?" Damon asked me. I nodded in return. "Yeah, one ability at most right?"

"Hang on, how come they only have one where as..." Bonnie started asking but was soon cut off by Stefan.

"Cold Ones have one ability, well some do anyway. But they're heightened traits of their human personality that they bring through the transformation with them." He told Matt, Bonnie, Tyler, Caroline, Jeremy and Elena who looked really thrown by this new information.

"Yeah, well Ed... My ex's was mind reading. He could read anyone's mind, anyone's but mine. His ability didn't work on me." I explained.

"Wait he could read minds? How did that work?" Jeremy asked me.

"It's my turn." I said, I wanted to make sure that I was getting answers in return in this session. "How do you differ from Cold One's?" I asked.

"We're human in appearance, we're not cold, more like room temperature and we have human skin, not like stone." Stefan started telling me.

"We don't sparkle like fairies." Damon added.

"You were almost spot on with the Anne Rice reference. She got things pretty much dead on. Sunlight, steaks, etc." Stefan carried on.

"We can eat food, drink. Thank god." Damon raised his glass of bourbon. "We can control our bloodlust."

"Hang on, the sunlight? How? I've seen you walk in the sun?" I asked.

"Our turn." Damon smirked maliciously at me.

"Okay, go ahead." I conceded going back to my chair and picking my drink back up, I had a feeling I was going to need it.

"Why are there Cold One's trying to kill you." Damon asked me.

And so I told everyone in the room my whole story. James and his coven coming across the Cullen's and me, James hunting and tracking me. Everything. Even the things that I'd rather have forgotten about. All of it. Including the break up and them leaving me.

Everyone wanted to examine my scar, Stefan and Damon taking more interest in it than the others though. I had a feeling that they actually had an idea of what it meant. What I'd gone through, what I'd survived to come out with it. All thought the others were amazed by it and the story behind the cresent shape that would forever be imbedded on my skin, they didn't really understand, they didn't really get the emotions one tiny blemish could bring. Stefan and Damon, they did. They understood.

When I got to what Ed... _He_ had told me, and what had happened I was surprised to hear Damon, Stefan, Caroline and even Tyler growling low in their throats. It was an eerie sound that raised all the hairs on the back of my neck.

"So yeah, that's why Victoria's after me." I mumbled looking at my shoes. I felt terrible for bringing this to these people.

"Did you know they were after you before you came here?" Bonnie asked me in a sharp voice, almost accusitory.

"Didn't you listen to Bella Bonnie? She clearly didn't." Jeremy answered his girlfriend just as sharply.

"Look, I'm really, really sorry that I got you involved in this and put you in danger. All of you." I told the people in the room that were now possibly the closest friends I'd ever had sincerely. They knew everything about me, all my deep dark secrets that I'd wanted to tell someone but had never been able to before. Well almost everything, the things they didn't know were just the minor details. Like how Rosalie hated me, how Jasper struggled to be in the same room as me, that kind of thing. "I'll leave, I'll go back to Forks, make sure that they don't come here again." I added meaning it, mentally working out the soonest I could leave. Perhaps I could drive back to Forks in my new car, that wouldn't be too bad I guessed.

"You're kidding right?" Damon spoke up that smirk back on his face, but something hidden in his eyes that didn't match the cocky, happy look. I couldn't figure out what it was though. "That's the first time I've been able to kill something and not have someone bitching at me in ages. Let them come. Means more fun for me."

"Bella you can't leave, we can protect you here." Caroline said to me, her eyes almost begging.

"I can't ask you to do that. You might get hurt and trust me I'm really not worth that." I told my new friends meaning every word.

"Why would you say that Bella, of course you're worth it." Bonnie said softly to me, she looked worried for some reason.

"I'm not. Really I'm not." I said, thinking back to them. If I was worth it, then they would have stayed. I wasn't good, he told me that. These people in this room were all worth three of me each, I wasn't worth them going through pain, worry or getting hurt. I wasn't and I wouldn't let them put themselves in danger just for me.

I was startled out of my thoughts by a pair of baby blue eyes looking up at me from Damon's handsome face who was kneeling in front of me. "Don't listen to what he said. You're staying here. We'll look out for you. And besides, I like having a reason to kill things for a change." I couldn't tear my eyes away from his. Even though I knew there was a really good reason that I should. "Anyway sweet lips, any reason to spend more time watching **your **back and I'm in." So quietly that I almost wasn't quite sure if I imagined it or not I thought I heard him whisper; "you are worth it." But it sounded so unlike him that I dismissed it as soon as I thought I'd heard it.

In the blink of an eye Damon was stood back up, glass back in hand, his trademark smirk still on it's face as though it had never left.

"So it's settled then, you are staying here." Jeremy told me firmly. I didn't respond, despite what Caroline and Damon had said I didn't think this was a great idea.

"Bella, you are staying. Stefan and Damon can make sure that nothing gets to you here. Or any of us. If you went back to Forks and for some reason that Victoria couldn't get to you what do you think she'd do?" Elena asked me gravely.

"Charlie..." I whispered out scared. Oh god he was all alone there with no-one to protect him, what if... But no, they knew I was here now, they'd come here for me. But then...

"Exactly and here if they try to hurt anyone you're close to we can be ready! We've got witches, werewolves and vampires on our side." Elena said thinking along my brainwave. At my inquisitive look she carried on speaking, her voice lower and less insistent. "I've had to think about these things too, I know what you're going through."

I nodded, maybe they were right, but could I really let these people look out for me? They'd only just met me, why would they do that?

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

The group of mix-matched friends carried on talking until the early hours of the morning and only then they stopped because Damon had noticed that Bella had fallen asleep.

"I'll take her up to my room." He said with a nod to the girl who'd fallen asleep in his favourite chair, her head lolling to one side in a way that would give her really bad neck ache, Damon knew from personal experience.

"No, we'll wake her up and take her home." Elena declared with a sharp glance at the vampire. She didn't trust him round Bella, hell she wouldn't trust him round a dog if she had one, let alone a friend of hers, look what happened to Caroline after all.

"What do you think I'm going to do while she's asleep Elena?" Damon asked his brothers girlfriend with a roll of his eyes. Bored now of the game he'd played of being interested in her when he'd first arrived back in Mystic Falls. Sure it had caused Stefan the misery that Damon had promised to make sure his little brother was in, but it was boring and annoying, and as much as he liked Elena as a person she was too whiney for his tastes. Hot though.

Elena opened her mouth to argue with Damon when Stefan cut over her. "Fine. Take her up. But we've still got things to talk about." He said in a serious voice. Stefan didn't particularly trust his brother either, but something was happening with Damon. He wasn't exactly changing, more like he was showing a bit more humanity, whenever Bella was around anyway. If he didn't know his brother any better then Stefan would think that Damon was developing feelings for her. However he was pretty sure that even if he was Damon would never admit to it and would probably sabotage everything once more if anyone were to even suggest it.

Damon nodded and picked Bella up before blurring her upstairs. Matt watched him go, or as much as his human eyes could anyway. He felt bad for Bella, she was a nice girl and she'd been thrown into this world, just like he himself had been.

"So what more do we need to talk about then little brother?" Damon asked as he was back in minutes, glass of bourbon clutched in his long fingers, a frown on his face.

"What are we going to do about the Cold One's? We've got more than enough going on without adding this to our load as well." Stefan said to his brother, knowing his words were probably going to start an argument with the teenagers but it needing saying and Stefan was more than curious to hear what Damon's solution would be. Probably death and destruction knowing him.

"So what, you're saying we just let those vampires kill Bella because we haven't got enough time!?" Jeremy barked out sounding pissed off.

"Stefan! We can't let Bella be hurt! We can't! She's my friend we've got to find a way!" Elena cried out, her eyes widening imploringly at her boyfriend. But Stefan's eyes remained firmly on Damon's blue ones.

"What's another couple of vampires in the scheme of things? They come we kill them, Bella's safe and I have fun. So we're all satisfied." Damon answered, what was the problem? Saint Stefan always wanted to save everyone, hell Damon bet that he didn't even kill spiders in the tub. So why would he not want to save his girlfriends friends life?

"You really think it's going to be that easy? And what if Bella gets separated from us?" Stefan questioned his brother, pushing him further. Stefan wanted to know how Damon would react, wanted to know if his suspicions were right.

"Of course it's going to be that easy, have you met me? I'm kick ass, way better than those sparkling fuck wits." Damon argued back.

"Just humour me here, what if she does?" Stefan said.

"Then why can't Alaric train her like he did with Elena, Jenna and me?" Jeremy suggested lightly.

"Cause mini Ric, you can't kill a Cold One like that." Damon replied slowly, as though talking to a small and slow child. "But that's not a bad idea. The more Buffy's we've got running around the better. She might actually be useful to us then."

Stefan was disappointed, he was wrong Damon didn't have feelings for Bella. He was just trying not to be an ass, probably for Elena's sake. Another act.

When he'd said his bit Damon sat back and watched the group talking about Bella and how to go about taking care of her. He didn't interrupt even when they started talking about a rota, making sure she was never unprotected, much like they'd all done for Elena at some point or other, and look how well that had worked out for them, not.

No Damon was listening but he was also thinking. Thinking about the brown haired girl asleep in his bed. The Klutz who had freaked out when she'd thought her friends were in danger, when she thought that _he_ was in danger. But other than that, the girl had been calm and adult about the situation, more so than most adults were when they found out.

She was strong, stronger than he'd ever have given her credit for and her mask was better too. Maybe even better than his, either that or she starting to heal here. Damon surprised himself by thinking that he wished that it were the latter.

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Soo... What did you think? I'm happy to answer any questions and I'd love to hear from you. Next chapter Bella wakes up in Damon's bed. Lucky cow ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm so sorry! I suck. I meant to get this chapter out a week ago but RL kicked my arse! so here's the chapter, I really hope that you enjoy it, I loved writing this one. **

**As always others own these characters, ArabellaWhitlock owns any good grammar you see here, and I own my vivid imagination. :)**

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Firework

The Deal

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing again, I reached for it without opening my eyes and pulled it under the covers with me. My head was pounding, my mouth tasted like shit, I was feeling sick, and I was never, ever drinking again. It caused the strangest dreams I'd ever had.

"Hello?" I answered, god my mouth was so dry.

"Morning kiddo! You okay, you don't sound so good." Charlie said down the line, his voice holding a smile in it.

"I'm not." I moaned, speaking without thinking, in my defence my head was thumping so loudly it drowned my thoughts out. "I'm hungover."

"Hungover?" Dad said sternly. Shit! I'd not even thought! Oh crap. Now I was in for a lecture. "You were drinking?" He sounded angry now.

"Erm... I only had a couple dad. I'm sorry, I was just at a party and... I... Er... I'm sorry." I pleaded, feeling like crap.

Charlie's laugh came swimming down the line to me, warm and soothing. "I'm just pulling your leg kiddo, it was about time you broke a rule or two, you're eighteen in a couple of weeks after all. Just don't make a habit out of it and let your hangover be the lesson okay?"

"Sure." I mumbled, feeling slightly put out. I'd thought he was gonna shout at me and here he was laughing.

"Now get some paracetamol, some greasy food, water and some more sleep. Then ring me after your first day at school tomorrow okay kiddo?" Charlie said, his voice full of humour and love.

"Sure dad. Love you." I say.

"Love you too Bells." Dad replied before hanging up the phone.

I stayed under the covers and closed my eyes. More sleep sounded like really good advice right about now.

"Your dad's right you know. You really **should **eat something and have some water. From what I can remember hangovers are a bitch." I sat straight up, my heart pounding in my throat to look at Damon who was watching me with a smirk.

"Damon! What the hell are you doing in my...?" I trailed off from my angry shouting when I realised I wasn't actually in my room. I didn't know where I was. The room was really elegant, everything in it was dark wood and looked really old, it gave me a feeling of being cosy and safe. Which considering I didn't know how the hell I'd ended up here or even where here was, was a little odd. "Where am I?" I managed to ask, my heart rate calming down to an almost normal pace when I noticed that I was still in my clothes from last night. I was guessing that meant I hadn't done anything too stupid. I was never drinking again.

"You are in my **bedroom **wild cat... Hmmm... I **like **one." Was he insane, how did he flip from one subject to another so quickly, it was enough to make my head pound even harder.

"How am I in your bedroom? What happened? Oh god we didn't...?" I couldn't even finish that sentence, worry and dread filling me. I didn't want my first time to be with an asshole who couldn't have cared less about me, and I wanted to be able to remember it. Never, ever drinking again.

"Don't freak out on me, we didn't do anything." Damon drawled while rolling his eyes, leaning against an old looking chest of draws. "You fell asleep downstairs and I carried you to bed."

"You carried me to bed?" I asked, slightly embarrassed but more confused, why would he do something so nice? That really wasn't an action that I would expect from Damon.

"Well yeah. You **were **sleeping in my chair and I wanted to sit down." Damon shrugged it off.

"Right..." I said sarcastically back. "Okay well thanks, but I guess I better go home." I tried moving from the bed but every little movement sent pain flooding through my head. God dammit, hangovers really hurt! No wonder people bitched about them.

"I'll go get you some paracetamol and some water Wild Cat, just relax." Damon said walking to the door, he then turned back and smirked at me. "You look good in my bed Klutz, but you'd look better without those clothes on. So get them off before I get back." He winked and then left the room. I groaned and collapsed back onto the pillows. My brain wasn't working nearly fast enough to be verbally sparring with Damon this morning, and he just wasn't going to give up was he?

Damon was either back quicker than humanly possible or I'd fallen back to sleep for a minute or five, as when I opened my eyes again he was walking across the room towards me with a glass of water, a bottle of painkillers and a plate of toast. He placed them on the bedside table closest to me and sat on the end of the bed watching as I greedily downed the water, like a man in the desert dying of thirst.

"I'm surprised Wild Cat." Damon smirked at me as I saved a little of the water to take my tablets with.

"About what?" I asked after I'd swallowed two of the little white pills, hoping that they'd stop the thumping pain behind my eyeballs.

"That you aren't asking me a hundred and one questions." Damon smirked at me again.

I shrugged before speaking and picking up the toast. "I probably will do once I've woken up." I admitted, curiosity edging in as I started feeling slightly more human.

We sat in silence while I ate my toast, I used that time to look around the room more. The one thing I noticed was that there wasn't really any personal belongings in the room. Sure there were his clothes, and more books than I owned (which was saying something) but there weren't any pictures, no little trinkets or keepsakes, nothing that would have shown me that Damon lived here. With a slight pang I realised that it was almost exactly like my room back at Alaric's house. You could tell someone lived there, but not who they were. Like they were living but without a reason, without any life behind it. Maybe Damon and I were more alike than I'd thought?

"How did we get here last night? Why didn't I go home?" I asked after my toast was finished. That bugged me slightly, not having any memories. I didn't like knowing that I was missing some of my life, and some of my actions.

"You can't be serious!" Damon exclaimed to me wide-eyed.

"What!?" I asked panicking again, what had I done?

"You **are **serious aren't you Bella?" Damon said looking shocked and sounding serious which worried me a little. That and he'd used my actual name without it sounding sarcastic for once.

"What!? What did I do?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" He asked me.

"We were at the party, you'd gone outside because there was a fight, you told me to wait... I got talking to some people... Then Caroline came to get me... Hang no, I think that bit was a dream." I said, struggling to remember when my night had actually stopped and when it had merged with my crazy ass dream from last night.

Damon sighed and rolled his eyes before laying out on the bed, a little too close to me for me to be comfortable. But I was, his closeness made me feel safe for some unfathomable reason. "It wasn't a dream Isabella. Last night, all real." Huh, what was real? "You're dream, I'm guessing it was about vampires, werewolves and witches right?" I nodded with my mouth open how did he know? "It wasn't a dream Klutz, it happened. The whole who's a vampire and who's not mystery reveal, you sharing your secrets about shiny boy ex, it was all real."

"Shit." I mumbled.

Damon gasped making me look up at him quickly, his face was arranged to look shocked but his eyes were burning with amusement. "Surely not! The sweet, **innocent **Isabella Swan didn't just curse then did she? That would be scandalous!"

"Funny." I rolled my eyes at him, but inside I was burning with anger. Why was it that everyone assumed I was so sweet and innocent? So breakable and fragile, not able to handle this world? I could swear, I could drink and I could deal with vampires!

"Thanks, I like to think I'm **hilarious**." Damon smirked at me.

"So you're really a vampire?" I asked, not as scared as I should be. Not scared at all to be honest. I'd always had odd reactions to supernatural elements when they were brought into my life though.

"Yup." Damon popped the 'p'. "And you really dated a cold one."

"Yup." I answered exactly the same as he did, a little shocked when I realised that thinking about _him_ didn't hurt as much as it had done yesterday. "You never explained how you can walk in the sun yesterday, you said that your type of vampires burn in it?"

"I did explain, but you'd fallen asleep." Damon said sounding exasperated with me, but the light in his eyes told me differently. I thought that maybe Damon was enjoying having someone to talk who didn't actively and openly dislike him. He must have been quite lonely, I knew I had been when I'd had no-one to speak to.

"You want to tell me now?" I asked hopefully. "I promise not to fall asleep and everything." I smiled at him.

"You should do that more often." Damon said thoughtfully while looking at me.

"What ask you questions or tease you. Cause that second one I've been doing everytime I speak to you." I quipped.

"No smile. Makes you look **ravishing**." Damon said, his cocky tone missing.

"Thanks, I'll try. Now are you gonna tell me or am I going to have to guess?" I asked interested in his answer. Interested in everything to do with this new type of vampire that I was just learning existed. You think the Cullen's could have told me that other mythical creatures existed, at least then I'd have been prepared. After all I was so much a danger magnet that I was bound to encounter them one day.

"I'll tell you, but you might wanna shower first Wild Cat." Damon told me while wrinkling his nose. He had a point, I'd been sleeping in these clothes and I felt horrible, I must have smelt worse, especially to a vampire.

"Oh, yeah, sure." I agreed slightly embarrassed. "Erm..."

"Bathrooms through that door, there are clean towels and the spare toothbrushes are under the sink." Damon smirked at me.

"Spare toothbrushes?" I asked confused.

"Well ladies don't usually think to bring one when they come home with me." Damon told me with a wink. I blushed when I worked out what he meant, which made his smile grow even wider.

I got out of the bed and into the bathroom as quickly as I could, closing the door firmly behind me and leaning my head against it with a sigh. How did Damon hold so much power over my reactions? I didn't like it, it was starting to feel unhealthy for me.

Though at least I felt like I could be myself around him, unlike the last vampires that I'd known.

I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. The only word was wow. This was the most amazing bathroom I'd ever seen.

There was his and hers sinks, a walk in power shower wet room thing and a huge tub that looked like it had a jacuzzi feature. The whole room was done out in luxurious terracotta marble tiles. It was beautiful. And at complete odds to what I'd think Damon would have, then again he was all about image, so maybe it did make sense.

I climbed into the shower quickly and started washing, it was the most relaxing shower I'd ever taken. The stress that I didn't even know I had washed away along with the remainder of my hangover.

When I eventually got out I grabbed a towel and found myself one of Damon's spare toothbrushes, he had piles of them. How lucky did he think he was going to get? I also used his brush to try and tame my unruly hair.

After I finished my bathroom routine and dried myself I turned for my clothes. Only to find they weren't there.

I looked around the vast bathroom confused. I was sure I'd put them... Anger burned fiery red in my veins as I realised what had happened. I helped myself to a silk red robe that was hung on the back of the door before storming out of the room, as pissed as I'd ever been.

"What the hell Damon! Where are my clothes! And why the fuck did you think you could come into the bathroom while I was in the shower!?" I shouted at the vampire who was lying on the bed with his hands behind his head. He turned to look at me with a smirk on his face and opened his mouth, but before he could give me a cocky or smart ass reply I started shouting again. "And don't give me any shit about how it's your bathroom and therefore you can go in when ever you like! It was a complete invasion of privacy! You fucking pervert!" I was as mad as hell.

"Chill Wild Cat, I didn't go in there." Damon smirked at me, his eyes rolling as he spoke.

"Really?" I asked sarcastically while crossing my arms over my chest. "Then my clothes just magically walked out did they?"

"I asked Blondie to get them so I could wash them. You really stank Klutz." Damon explained making me blush bright red.

"Sorry." I muttered looking at the floor feeling mortified.

"Stop saying sorry, it's really **annoying**. And besides I **did** think about it." He said to me while patting the bed next to him with another smirk.

I looked at him and weighed my options, I could sit down and maybe get some answers, after all Damon did say that he would tell me. Or I could walk home in the red robe that I'd borrowed and hope everyone had gone temporarily blind. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen was it? With a sigh I sat the other end to Damon pulling my legs up to my chest and faced him.

"So you were going to tell me about how you can walk in the sun?" I asked after we'd sat looking at each other in silence for a few minutes, the smirk never leaving Damon's face, the blush that I couldn't prevent never leaving mine.

Damon looked at me, his face turning serious, he studied my face, looking for something. "We can walk in the sun because of these." He told me carefully while extending his hand and showing me a ring that he wore. It was a dark blue colour, one that was almost unique, it sat in a handsome gold casing, one that was totally Damon.

"So you've got a magical ring?" I asked, wanting to make sure that I understood correctly.

"Yup." Damon agreed while laughing, I didn't get the joke so I ignored him, still studying the blue stone on his finger.

"So a witch made this for you?" I looked back at him.

"Yeah." I was starting to get annoyed with the one word answers, it was like trying to get answers out of _them_ in the beginning.

"So let me make sure I've got this straight. Bonnie's a witch. Tyler's a werewolf. You, Stefan and Caroline are vampires?" I asked.

"In a nut shell Wild Cat." Damon wasn't taking his eyes off me, it was like he was waiting to see when I'd freak out. He'd be waiting a long time for that, it had yet to happen.

"How old are you all?" They way they spoke and their mannerisms at times made me believe that maybe Damon and Stefan were fairly old, maybe not as old as _him_, but still in the grand scheme of things quite old. Caroline though... She just seemed seventeen to me in every way.

"Caroline is seventeen, I'm twenty-four and Stefan is seventeen as well." Damon told me with an eye roll.

"Funny." I repeated myself from earlier. "How old are you all really?" I was unconsciously leaning forward while waiting for the answer.

"Stefan and I are around the five hundred mark. Caroline is still seventeen. How old are you?" Damon asked me while cocking an eyebrow.

"Seventeen, I told you." I said before carrying on my inquest, I wasn't interesting, he was and I wanted to know more. I wanted to know everything. "So Caroline's been recently turned then? How did that happen? Are you and Stefan really brothers or just saying you are? How did you get turned?" I was finding it so hard to believe that Stefan and Damon were over five hundred years old. They sure didn't act it. Five hundred years, what must they have seen in that time? What was their favourite era? I wanted to know it all. I knew there was something strange about Damon, that he was a puzzle, but I wasn't expecting this.

"And there it is." Damon sighed and rolled his eyes as though he was disappointed in me.

"What?" I asked feeling slightly self conscious. What had I done wrong? Was it bad etiquette to ask those questions? I wouldn't know _he_ use to hate me asking any type of question about his life at all. Maybe all vampires were the same, even different species.

"The hundred and one questions. It's like the Spanish inquisition all over again." Damon told me with another roll of his amazing blue eyes.

"Sorry." I muttered, I didn't want to annoy him with my questions. I liked annoying him but that was when we were joking around, not like this.

"That's even more infuriating." Damon said, his voice holding frustration. "How about we make a **deal**?"

I didn't quite trust his voice, it held too much mischief, just like his eyes did. "What deal?" I wasn't agreeing to anything unless I knew all the details, and the loopholes. I wanted to see the strings before he attached them.

"First off you don't say sorry for the rest of the day and I'll answer any questions you have. Unless I don't want to of course." He smirked at me.

"Okay, no deal. What if you don't want to answer any of them?" I could see his get out clause there.

"Alright, I'll answer any questions you have about vampires either ones, and I'll tell you some of our stories. But not everything." Damon negotiated.

"Why?"

"I've got to have some mystery otherwise you might find me boring Miss Swan." Again with the smirk.

"Yeah right." I muttered.

"You are right. That's never gonna happen, I am **amazing**."

"Amazingly arrogant." I quipped back with a smile, at ease again now. I knew this part, I knew what was expected of me and I knew how to react.

"So do we have a deal?" Damon asked ignoring my comment.

"Not until you tell me what the rest of the conditions are." I wasn't falling for that, he said first of all, that meant there was more, and as much as I was beginning to like Damon, or at least not dislike him, I didn't trust vampires. I wasn't sure if I ever would again.

"You're observant even with a hangover. I don't think I like that." Damon smiled at me, impressed it looked like.

"The conditions..." I prompted.

"You're no fun when you're demanding, or not like this anyway." His eyebrows rose and his smirk got wider, I didn't change my expression though, not falling for his trap. "Fine. My other condition is that **you** come out with me for a night after you first week of school."

Huh? That one I didn't get. Why would that be a condition? "What do you mean, like as friends or...?" I couldn't finish my sentence. Please let it be as friends, please let it be as friends.

"No not on a date don't panic Wild Cat. But you're fun when you're drunk. And I could use a night out without having to compel someone after or have someone nag me about my actions." Damon said, there was truth in his words, but something else hidden behind them as well. If I didn't know any better I'd assume that Damon was as lonely as I was.

"No funny business?" I asked with a frown.

Damon laughed at me. "No funny business." He drawled out sarcastically with his smirk. "Unless you ask me for it Isabella."

"Yeah, that one right there, not gonna happen." I responded. "Okay you've got yourself a deal."

"What do you want to know first then Klutz?"

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

Stefan had been keeping an ear trained on the noises coming from Damon's room ever since Bella had received the phone call from her father. He and Elena were sat in the lounge with Caroline and Jeremy talking about the events from last night and the girl that they all considered a friend.

"How's she handling everything?" Elena asked her boyfriend when he started staring at the ceiling.

"She's fine, she just wants to know more." Stefan reassured her, but Elena thought he was holding back. Stefan was, he wasn't telling Elena how Bella and Damon seemed to be forming a close friendship based on insults and wit. How Bella was more damaged than anyone of them had previously realised.

"They really messed her up didn't they?" Jeremy intruded on Stefan's thoughts, the young man was more intuitive than anyone ever gave him credit for. He saw things that most other people missed.

"Yeah, they did." Stefan replied with a sigh. He wasn't going to tell them just how much though, he didn't want to betray Bella like that. Not when she'd accepted what they were without judging them, even after everything that she'd been through. Bella was strong, that was something Stefan was certain of.

"How could he leave her like that, say those things to her?" Elena asked quietly, her voice holding upset for her new friend, someone she was almost as close to as Bonnie and Caroline after only a week. At least now she had an idea of why, of why she felt so at ease around Bella. They were more similar, shared more than either of them could have possibly guessed.

"I don't know. But it's not true! Grr! I swear if I ever meet him, I'm gonna... Well I don't know what I'm gonna do but it's going to be really mean!" Caroline snapped out, her eyes furious.

Elena's phone started ringing cutting off any more conversation for a minute.

"Hello?" She answered. "Oh hi Ric. Yeah we're at the Salvatores... Sorry, I completely forgot...! No, but there's something that we should probably tell you and Jenna, and we're gonna need your help..." Elena started thinking about Jeremy's idea to train up Bella, it was a good plan, knowing how to defend yourself was never a bad idea, especially not when you lived in the supernatural world like her and Bella did.

"We'll come home and talk to you about it..." Elena glanced at Stefan in response to a question that Alaric asked on the other end, something that Jeremy couldn't hear. Stefan looked at the ceiling and smiled before turning back to Elena and shaking his head. "No, she's staying here for a little while longer..."

"How long?" Stefan asked no one in particular, looking at the ceiling once more. "He'll have her back in time for dinner." Stefan told Elena who repeated when Bella would be back for Alaric's sake.

When Elena hung up Jeremy turned with a frown on his face to Stefan. "What's up with them? Why's Damon being so... Not a dick? I don't get it."

Elena and Caroline looked to Stefan too, neither of them could understand the reasoning behind Damon and Bella's relationship either. Damon was still being an ass, more bearable than usual but still, and Bella seemed so nice, she was so nice, they'd both seen that. So how did they get along?

"They understand each other I guess." Stefan said thoughtfully, but in truth he wasn't quite so sure himself. All he knew was that Damon better watch his back, because if he played with Bella, if he hurt her, then Damon was going to have to face the rath of Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, Jeremy and Tyler, even Stefan himself would defend the girl. She was too nice for his brothers game, too nice and too broken.

"Come on then, guess we better fill in Alaric and Jenna. That's gonna be a fun conversation." Jeremy said sarcastically while standing up.

~0~

Damon sat opposite Bella and talked, he talked for longer than he'd done in centuries. Every time he stopped talking Bella asked him another question.

He had to admit to himself that she was intersting. She was asking questions that no-one else had ever thought to ask him before. How did he feel about humans knowing his secrets? Did eternity ever get boring? What was his favourite era? These questions intersted Damon. _She_ interested him.

After an hour or two Damon found himself doing something he hadn't done since Katherine. He found himself letting his guard down and enjoying talking to another being.

Damon eventually took Bella home in her freshly washed and dried clothes from last night. When they parted he reminded her of their deal, she wasn't to say sorry to anyone for the rest of today. And she also would be going out with him this weekend.

He was sure he'd see her before then, he was going to have to babysit her at some point after all. But still going home and sitting alone, even sitting with his little brother, now seemed dull and sad after the day he'd spent with Isabella.

Damon mentally berated himself. He was Damon fucking Salvatore for gods sake, he didn't need anyone but himself, blood and some bourbon.

Speaking of which... Maybe he'd stop by the sorority house tonight...?

* * *

So? I hope you liked that one, another one coming really soon this time, I almost promise. :) any questions, comments leave me a review, I'm crap at replying to anything other than the questions but I read and love each one. Plus I'm about ten minutes away from my first ever kickboxing match so your reviews will be my luck ;)

until next time, love always Tametiger x


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so freaking sorry for the wait! So sorry that I'm gonna give you two whole chapters! **

**Enjoy!**

**Thanks as always to my amazing beta, ArabellaWhitlock. **

**I own nothing, I just like to play ;) **

Firework

Explanations

Damon dropped me off home in his deep blue car, the same car that I'd been racing with the other day, of course Damon feigned not knowing what I was talking about. He'd never give an inch unless he wanted to, it was frustrating to say the least, but at the same time it was refreshing and it was something that I wanted. I wanted to be as self-assured as Damon was, as able to take care of myself, to make sure that I was doing what I wanted to, not what other people wanted me to do.

As I got out of the car Damon wound down his window and faced me from the inside of his beloved car, his smirk firmly back in place. "Don't forget our deal Wild Cat."

I rolled my eyes at him, how could I forget. "I won't say sorry." I said impatiently.

"And... you and me are tearing up the clubs at the weekend." I smiled and nodded in agreement, spending time with Damon once you got to know him really wasn't that bad. He made me laugh at least. Plus having some fun again, that sounded like a good idea. Living. Like everyone kept telling me I had to do. This week it had got easier, living had got easier.

With a final wave and smile I headed inside. As I opened the door Jeremy, Jenna, Elena and Alaric all looked at me from the kitchen.

"Bella." Jenna said, her voice full of relief and worry at the same time. Something that did not match her easy going nature.

"Hi." I replied, on edge now. They were all looking me over carefully, as though to make sure that Damon hadn't hurt me. It made me wonder exactly how much Jenna and Alaric actually knew.

"How are you?" Alaric asked me with feeling as I walked through to the kitchen to join them, even though all I wanted to do was sit on my own and process everything that I'd learnt in the last few hours. It had been a lot to take in.

"I'm fine thanks." I responded while smiling a hello to Stefan who was leant against the island in the middle of the room.

"Elena, Jeremy and Stefan told us everything. Are you sure you're okay? That's a lot to happen to someone in twenty-four hours, a lot to take in." Jenna said kindly.

I looked to Elena who nodded. Jenna and Alaric knew? They knew! Wow. It must have been easier for her Elena and Jeremy, having their guardians know everything. But how did they know, how did they find out? It wasn't something I'd even contemplated telling Charlie, like Elena had said last night, how do you tell someone what we know?

"I'm okay, but yeah. It's a lot to take in." I explained slowly, my head racing with thoughts that I just wanted to sit and figure out.

"Is there anything you want to talk about? Or ask?" Stefan said softly to me, his face full of compassion and understanding, tip-toeing round me, like _they_ had done. And the polar opposite to this brother. I preferred Damon's attitude even if I understood Stefan's better.

"I'm okay, thanks though. Damon told me everything I wanted to know more or less. I think I'm just going to go process if that's okay?" I asked the people in the room hesitantly. I didn't know if I could handle anything else just at the minute.

"Sure, we'll have dinner in a couple of hours. We'll talk then if you want to." Elena smiled gently at me. I gave a small smile back then headed up to my room.

When I reached my room I got changed into more comfortable clothes and sat on my window seat. I leant my head against the window and just sat. My mind was running with questions, ones to which at the minute I didn't need the answers to so I ignored, instead trying to sort out the torrent of information that Damon had fed me.

I don't know how long I just sat staring at nothing, not moving, my thoughts racing, but at no point did I freak out. Sure I was a bit overwhelmed, but that was just because I'd thought I'd left this all behind. It seemed as though I was just destined to live in the supernatural world.

A knock at my door startled me out of my stupor. "Come in." I called looking away from the window and to my door. I noticed that at some point it had started getting dark.

"Hey." Jenna said softly as she came into my room, her face holding sympathy for me. "How you holding up?"

"I'm good."

Jenna sat on my bed and faced me, serious like I hadn't seen her before. "I only found out everything a couple of months ago. I freaked out. Like really freaked out, I couldn't handle everything for a few days, went to college and stayed there to clear my head."

"But you're okay with everything now?" I asked gently.

"I haven't got much choice I don't think. But yeah, I'm dealing." She told me thoughtfully. "I just wanted you to know that I understand. And that I'm here if you need anything. Really."

"Thanks Jenna that means a lot." I beamed at the young woman who had so far been more of a mother to me than Rene had ever been. "Can I ask... How did you find out?"

"I knew something odd was going on. I mean you'd have to be a moron to ignore the murders, the disappearances, injuries, over protective men. And I knew that Alaric was hiding something from me. So I fled because of him. Not left. Fled. In the end Elena, Jeremy and Alaric decided it was better and safer for me to know. For me to be ready." Jenna explained with a lot of emotion behind her words.

"Is it better? Knowing?" I asked, I'd never been on the side that Jenna had, but Charlie was and I wanted to know, needed to know what it was like from her point of view.

"Yes. It's scary, and it's dangerous. But it's better than having the people I love lie to my constantly." Jenna said without any hesitation. "I know why you asked. I don't think it's a good idea though."

"Why?"

"He'll drag you back to Forks. No-one there can look out for you or for him. It's totally your call but... I wish I could show you a picture of you the day you got here and a picture of you today. You're better. You've only been here a week and already your better. You go back to Forks and die? That's not going to help anyone. Especially not us. We care about you Bella. Don't think we don't. And we want to look out for you. Give us that chance." Tears formed in my eyes at her heartfelt words. Jenna smiled at me before getting off my bed and coming over to me, wrapping me in a hug.

As her arms were round me, comforting, warm and safe, I let a few tears fall. No doubt in my mind that despite everything I'd found my place here.

"Okay." Jenna stepped away and I was amazed to see her eyes a bit glassy through her smile. "Dinner's ready, Stefan's made it so it'll be delicious. Do you want to come down and eat, or would you like me to save you some?"

"I'll come down, thanks." I smiled before following Jenna closely out of my room and down to the rest of my family.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V

Damon drove home with the leggy brunette, her conversation boring him, but he didn't mind. He hadn't picked her up for conversation. No Damon only wanted sex and blood from her, maybe not in that order either.

As he drove he found his thoughts going back to Bella and how she never bored him. How she actually made him laugh. He wondered how the family was dealing with her knowing. Probably making a motto and capes right this second. He thought with a smirk, one ear listening to the girl next to him drone on about how fun it was living with fifteen other girls. Yeah, 'the family that slays together, stays together.' That must be their new motto, Damon actually let out a small snort of laughter.

"Wow, your house, is like, sooo big..." The brunette said with a giggle as Damon pulled up outside the boarding house that he called home.

"That's not the only thing that's big." He replied while raising his eyebrows.

A giggle was the only reply. He knew he was going to get some tonight, that was a given. But he was slightly disappointed when the girl didn't put him down with a witty yet funny comeback. No personality. Oh well. At least he'd have some fun, and you couldn't have it all.

As Damon climbed out of the car he smelt something. Someone had been here, someone had been to his house. Not someone he recognised from town either.

With this new threat around he needed to make sure that it wasn't one of them. One of the Cold One's.

"Stay in the car. If anyone comes honk the horn." Damon compelled the girl who's name he couldn't even remember. She just nodded and locked the car door. No resistance.

Carefully Damon followed the smell, it was almost a bad smell, kind of like wet dog, but not quite. It lead up to his front door. Which stood open. A smile formed on his handsome face. 'God I hope one of the fuckers was stupid enough to come in.' He thought to himself.

Carefully and slowly Damon followed the scent into his home. Round the living room and up the stairs straight into his room. Someone had been here. The only room they had checked out was his. The one room other than the lounge where Bella had been.

Shit!

Damon blurred down the stairs, his emotions going between furious and worried. He had to get over to Bella's house, had to make sure they were warned. Had to make sure that Bella was safe. After all she was pretty cool for a human. And she couldn't be killed before he'd... Damon stopped what he was thinking. He was being ridiculous, he'd go over there, he'd protect her, but the one reason, the only reason, was because she didn't totally bore him to tears.

"Go home. Get there as quickly as you can. You never met me. You've never seen me before. You went out for a walk." Damon compelled the brunette again.

"I went for a walk." She repeated, her free will stripped from her.

"Go now!" Damon growled, his anger at an all time high. Which meant that someone was going to pay, someone would die.

When the brunette had left his car and she couldn't see him anymore he transformed into his crow form and flew as fast as he could to the Gilbert house. Worry swirling inside him and urging him on.

~0~

Bella's P.O.V.

"That was amazing thanks Stefan." I repeated myself as I finished putting away the clean plates.

"You're welcome." Stefan replied with a kind smile.

"I've got to admit I'm loving your type of vampire more and more. It's got to be good that you actually eat. Do you enjoy cooking?" I asked, my thoughts still racing through my head, but the questions were coming thick and fast as well.

Luckily Stefan didn't mind me asking him, otherwise he would have snapped at me long before now. Instead he just gave a small chuckle before answering me. "We both do, Damon and me. We were born in Italy after all." His smirk rivalled Damon's for a second, making me see exactly why Elena had fallen for him.

"Damon likes cooking?" I asked confused, somehow I couldn't see Damon flitting round a kitchen tasting sauces and having the patience to make a full meal.

"Yeah." Stefan smiled his eyes happy for a minute. Fondness for his brother that I'd not yet seen shining in his eyes.

A high pitched squeal, like a horrid bird call came from the window sill of the kitchen making me and Stefan both jump. "What's that?" I asked walking to the window, wanting to see what had made the noise. Had a bird been hurt outside?

"Wait..." Stefan held his hand out to stop me going any further, darting to the window himself. Were all vampires this over protective or just the ones I knew? Would Damon be that protective if he were here? Somehow I doubted it, and the thought made me slightly glad, Damon was someone I could be me around, someone who'd let me be me around them, clutziness and inquisitiveness included.

"It's just a crow." Stefan said with a smile in his voice.

I stepped up to the window and looked for myself. The crow was marching up and down the window, it's wings ruffled and puffed out, it's eyes darting around the garden then to me and Stefan and back again. It was odd and funny at the same time.

"Weird bird." I muttered before finishing up in the kitchen.

Just as I put the last plate away there was a knock at the front door. "Are we expecting anyone!?" Alaric called and I heard him moving from the front room to the hallway.

"No." We all chorused together. The happy, contented and relaxed atmosphere instantly changed to tense. Though I had to wonder if someone was going to attack would they really knock first?

I heard Alaric opening the front door with Stefan close behind him. I stayed in the kitchen, my heart rate slightly accelerated in response to the tension that everyone else was so obviously feeling.

"Er... Hi. I'm looking for Bella?" A deep voice that I recognised echoed down the corridor to me.

"And who are you?" Alaric asked, his voice low but not quite un-friendly. How did he manage that one?

"Jake?" I asked confused while stepping out in to the entrance way. There he was standing just outside the door, the month I'd not seem him for had been kind to Jacob, more than kind. He'd shot up and filled out, no longer the cute sixteen-year old that I remembered. Jake now looked like a twenty-five year old body builder. And his beautiful long black hair was now cropped into a buzz cut. It was odd. How had he changed so much in just a month? "What the hell are you doing here!?" I asked him, completely dumbfounded.

"How wasted were you last night Bells? Can't you remember our conversation on the phone?" He managed to sound disappointed and hurt at the same time some how.

Suddenly the phone conversation that I'd drunkenly taken last night registered with me. Jake saying he was coming here to protect me, that I was in danger. What was his game!? I was furious! How dare he just turn up here uninvited as though it was the most natural thing in the world. As though we were still friends.

"Do you know this guy Bella?" Alaric asked me with disapproval.

"Yes. This is Jacob Black, we use to be friends back in Forks." I said, my voice slightly bitter as I went over in my head how Jake had left me, just like they had. "He rang me last night and said he was coming here, after everything that happened... I kind of forgot... So..." I stopped myself from apologising, I'd made a deal and as Damon hadn't backed out of his end I wasn't going to back out of mine. "I never for a second thought he'd actually show up!" I said heatidly instead.

Alaric just nodded, understanding in his eyes, understanding which turned to dislike as soon as his eyes shot back to Jake. When I'd told Elena about how the Cullen's had left I'd also filled her in on Jake. She must have told Alaric, cause he was sure as hell pissed at the boy. It felt nice to know that he had my back.

"Bella, can I talk to you? Please?" Jake begged me, his eyes flitting from Alaric to me. My eyes got stoney cold, why should I listen to him? What did I owe him? "I've flown all the way out here just to see you. Please Bella."

"Fine." I said, my voice harsh once more. I went to the door and motioned for him to sit on the furniture scattered around the porch. I turned to Alaric. "We'll just be out here if that's okay?"

"Don't go any further okay. And shout if you need anything." Alaric nodded at me, his features softening as he looked at me. I nodded back and smiled hesitantly before stepping outside and closing the door behind me.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

"So...?" Elena asked Stefan, her voice urgent as she motioned from him to Bella who was outside with her 'friend'. Some friend he was though, she thought angrily.

"It's not my place to say. If Bella wants to tell you she will." Stefan placated his girlfriend, his eyes and words gentle.

"Well I say screw that. I'm her guardian and I want to know what the hell that guys doing here just turning up out of the blue! Something's going on there and Bella has no idea what! So what's being said?" Alaric demanded from Stefan, the anger he'd managed to reign in when the guy was stood on his step now just leaking out. But he was pissed! Bella had changed just in a week of being here. Her nightmares had stopped, or hadn't been so bad that she'd woken up screaming anyway, she was laughing, eating and the bags under her eyes were fading. Alaric was determined that she'd carry on improving and having this fucker who let her down turn up wasn't going to help. He knew that.

"Okay fine." Stefan raised his hands in defeat when Jenna and Jeremy turned to have their say as well, both with angry, determined faces.

The crow outside was also listening in on the conversation, having now flown round to the bush in the front garden. This boy, he was the one who'd been following Bella's scent. He was the one who'd been looking for her. But how and why? The crow was on full alert, the first sign of trouble and he'd take the dark haired guy out in a heartbeat.

"So what do you want Jake? What was soo important you had to fly seven hours here to tell me that you couldn't tell me over the phone!? Especially when you've been pretending that I don't exist for the last month!" Bella was furious, her eyes dancing with fire, her voice acid and her body on edge. If it wasn't for her body language that showed how upset and hurt she was, then even the crow might have been a little afraid.

"Bella, you know why I'm here. I told you last night." Jacob was equally angry. Only his body language didn't show anything but frustration.

"I was drunk last night Jacob. I can't really remember what was said." Both the crow and Stefan could hear the lie in her voice at that. But it seemed as thought the boy couldn't. Or he had a good poker face.

"I'm here because of the red head Bella, Victoria." The boy twisted her name around his mouth and spat it at Bella like a weapon.

"Who's Victoria?"

"Don't play stupid with me Bella, I know you, it doesn't work. You know who she is. And I know that's she after you because of the Cullen's." The name was also used like a weapon, this time though Bella flinched as though she'd been struck.

"I don't know what you mean. The Cullen's left, you left, I left. I'm here, we're all good now. Everyone's a winner. So sorry Jake, wasted journey." Bella went to head inside, sadness and anger in her eyes.

"I know what they are Bella." Jacob tried again, why didn't she just admit it? Was she still loyal to these leeches? Even after everything they'd done to her? Bella carried on walking and Jake knew what he had to do, he had to stop her. Whatever it took. A little bit of pain for saving her life, it was worth it. "Edward. He was a vampire. And so were his family. Right Bells? You're in love with a leech. A blood sucking leech? You don't have to hide it from me anymore. I know and you know. Least that explains why you weren't into me. I had a pulse after all."

Bella stood still, her heart missing beats, her face agonised. "How do you know?" She asked the boy calmly with her back still to him while she tried desperately to put her mask in place. The crow knew that look, knew that desperation.

"Does it matter? I do." Jacobs voice was still harsh.

"And so what if they were? What does it matter now?" Bella faced him, her mask secure on her face so that she looked unconcerned with the new information that she was receiving.

"Victoria. The red head. She's gonna come for you." Jacob replied, worried at her lack of emotions now. Bella had looked back to her old self, she looked like his Bella when he'd arrived. Now she was back to the broken wreck that he'd found when the leech had first left her. Maybe throwing that stuff in her face hadn't been a great idea.

"Thanks for the warning. Now if you excuse me I was having a good night." Bella said, no infliction in her voice at all. It was as though she was a robot.

~0~

Bella's P.O.V.

I was furious, I was hurt, I was upset, I wanted to hide under my bed and never come out, and hiding I was, but under my mask rather than under the bed. I knew that Jake wouldn't be able to tell just how much his words had affected me, wouldn't be able to gauge my reactions. I liked that.

I turned to walk away once more when Jacob stood up and grabbed my arm to spin me to face him. His hand was hot to the touch, too hot, and the heat carried on up my hand to my wrist where it stopped at my scar and tingled. Just like it had tingled with the others; with Bonnie the witch, Tyler the werewolf, Damon, Stefan and Caroline, the vampires. What the hell? What was Jacob? Was this even Jacob? Shit! Coming outside alone with him seemed like a really bad idea right now.

"What are you!?" I asked shocked as I ripped my arm out of his grasp and stepped back towards the house.

Jacob's face registered shock, anger and worry. I was right. He was something. A supernatural something. But what?

"I.. Bell.." He stuttered for a second before his face became calm and clear.

"What the hell are you!" I asked louder this time.

"I have a heartbeat Bella, I'm not going to hurt you. But then maybe you'd trust me more if I was likely to rip you're throat out. If my heart was still!" Jacob growled at me, his body shaking with anger.

"What are you!?" I asked again, almost at my front door now.

"I'm human Bella, you've spent way too long around this shit. You think everyone's something they're not." Jacob stepped towards me once more, I stepped back my hand resting on the door knob.

He was lying, I knew he was lying. That thing with my wrist, it was like a warning. Jacob wasn't human, or not fully human anyway.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside just as a crow flew from the bushes. The same crow from the windowsill?

"For fuck sake Bells, I'm not going to hurt you. But then I'm guessing you'd like me better if I did right?" Jacob's face twisted with anger as his hand grabbed at my arm once more. His hold so strong that it hurt. He tried pulling me back outside and I struggled with him. What had gotten into him? My heart was racing and I felt sick to my stomach. Where had my best friend gone? What had happened to him? And what the fuck was Jake trying to do here? Scare me? Upset me, hurt me? He was succeeding in all those things.

"Jake you're hurting me! Let go!" I gasped out. No sooner were the words out of my mouth than Damon was behind him, ripping him off me and Stefan was pulling me inside the door. Damon's eyes shone with fury, his normal relaxed face twisted and evil looking. He looked at Jacob like he wanted to rip him to pieces.

"Damon! Don't hurt him. Please." The last bit was whispered. Damon glanced at me in surprise. "He was my best friend. Just let him go." I pleaded, whatever had got into Jacob he didn't deserve to die. And I was pretty sure by the look on the vampires face that kill him was exactly what Damon was going to do.

Damon wavered for a second before sighing and letting Jacob go. "Don't come here again. If you do I won't stop next time. No matter what she says." His words were so cold, so fierce that a frisson of fear ran up my spine.

Jake looked at me. "I'm sorry Bella." He muttered looking heart broken before walking from the house.

"Never a dull day round you, is there Wild Cat." Damon said with a smirk before he got serious again. "Now what the fuck just happened?"

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

Damon had never felt anger so intense, he literally felt as though he was burning up with it when Bella's words hit him as he stood watching in his human form once more.

"Jake you're hurting me! Let go!" Pain had crept into her voice and before he even knew what he was doing Damon was ripping the boy off Bella as quickly as he could. He wanted to tear him to pieces for hurting her, for making her feel pain, he wanted to kill the boy.

"Damon!" That voice held worry, fear and pain, something that resonated through the vampires body and made him hold back. Though not for long. This fucker was gonna hurt!

Damon sighed as Bella begged him to let the boy go. But he couldn't go against her wishes for now. Not when her face was already holding so much hurt. No. He'd wait till she'd almost forgot. Then he'd tear the kid to pieces and enjoy hearing his screams.

The boy scampered off with his tail between his legs and Damon turned to look in those big brown doe eyes once more. "Never a dull day round you, is there Wild Cat?" Damon teased, meaning it. This last week had been one of his most interesting in centuries. But he needed to know what the hell happened? How had she know he wasn't a full human, especially when he, Damon, didn't have a fucking clue what she meant. "Now what the fuck just happened?"

Stefan guided Bella back into the kitchen with the bemused and worried family right behind them, Damon on their heels as well. All of them wanted answers and the brunette who could give them looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown. Her bottom lip was trembling slightly and her hands were shaking. Tears formed in her emotive eyes. Damon found himself worrying about her. Was she about to have the freak out they'd all feared?

Damon was never gonna understand this girl. Even if he had another five hundred years under his belt. Instead of crying and bugging out, she got mad. She got so angry that she reminded the two vampires of a lion that Stefan had once hunted in Africa, it's hair puffed up, it's growls loud and furious, every inch of it screaming danger.

"What the hell was he playing at!" Bella started pacing the kitchen, every eye on her which she seemed not to notice. "He was gonna hurt me!? Just to prove a point! And what the hell is he!? Cause he isn't just human! The lying shit! Grrr! Why is it that everyone from Forks just can't come out with the fucking truth! It wasn't so hard for you guys!"

"Okay..." Alaric stepped in looking worried and slightly nervous. He hadn't seen anyone this angry in a long time. And it worried him. Bella was doing so well before this, but at least she was showing some sort of emotion rather than going catatonic again right? "Bella how did you know he wasn't human, what is he?" Alaric asked hesitantly.

"I don't know what he is, cause he of course he can't just tell me can he!? The prick!" Damon sniggered at her choice of words, she glanced at him and smiled before taking a deep breath, calming herself down visibly Damon could see. "When I first touched any of you guys. Any of you supernatural guys, my scar, it tingled or itched or something, I shrugged it off, I mean I just thought it was me being a freak... But then I found out about you guys. Maybe it wasn't me being a freak, or not totally anyway." Bella mused.

"So you've got, like a supernatural scar or something?" Jeremy asked with confusion.

"I guess...?" Bella looked at her scar with a wrinkled forehead.

Stefan and Damon glanced at each other, both with the same looks on their faces; one that clearly said 'what the fuck?'

"So you're weird. We already knew that. What we don't know is what that punk is." Damon growled out, still pissed about the kid. Though not sure why. Maybe because he couldn't kill him just yet and he wanted to?

"It doesn't matter does it? You told him to get lost, he'll go back to Forks right?" Elena asked while shooting Bella sympathetic looks, her eyes full of hurt for her friend.

"Yeah. I'm sure he flew all this way and after one argument he's just going to leave." Damon drawled sarcastically.

"We just have to be on high alert, and if he comes back we'll have to find out what he is somehow. Maybe Bonnie can help?" Stefan suggested thoughtfully.

It didn't matter, whatever the kid was Damon was going to kill him whenever he got a chance. He made that promise to himself.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the next chapter. **

**I don't own the characters or the good grammar. The grammar belongs to ArabellaWhitlock who corrects my your and you're. Enjoy! **

Firework

Time Flies

My first week of school flew by; Mystic Falls High was the same as any American High school, there were cheerleaders, jocks, nerds, stoner's, but unlike Forks High everyone here seemed pretty genuine. If the kids here didn't like you they mostly ignored you, if they were interested they asked, if they were friendly with you they went out of their way to say hi in the halls.

My first day at school was much better than my first day at Forks. Firstly I knew people, or they knew me anyway, I couldn't remember some of them; I was pretty wasted at the party after all. Also I had friends this time, Elena, Caroline, Stefan, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler and Jeremy. They all looked out for me, making sure that I got to my classes alright, that I didn't get lost. It was my best first day ever.

The rest of the week was mostly standard for school, though having Alaric as my history teacher was strange. I got given boat loads of homework which Bonnie, Caroline, Elena and I mostly worked through together. It was a novel yet nice change to school. I liked having a group of friends, people with whom I fitted, whom I trusted, who I could have fun with, laugh and joke with.

I did have a couple of eventful moments that week though. My fourth day of school and I took a detour through something they called stoner alley to get to the cafeteria where I was meeting the gang for lunch. Up ahead I saw a group of people jeering at something, they were making a small tight circle and it wasn't until I got up close that I realised what was happening. This group was picking on a kid, a guy beating on him as the rest shouted out insults.

"Hey!" I yelled, mad as hell. I knew what it was like to be considered weak, an easy target, and the thought of someone else going through that made me see red.

The crowd turned to look at me, parting slightly to do so, that's when I completely lost my cool. Jeremy was the kid being picked on.

I pushed past the bullies and into the ring. "You okay Jer?" I asked him while looking him over, he had a split lip and was gonna have a black eye. But there was no further damage luckily.

"Bella get out of here!" Jeremy hissed at me, hurt and worry held in his eyes which he never took off the jerk towering over us.

"Yeah Bella get out of here." The jerk mocked before going for Jeremy once more.

That was it. The day after Jake's appearance Alaric had started training me, I couldn't really do anything yet, we'd just been jogging and Alaric had taught me how to throw a proper punch, I wasn't sure what use that would do against a vampire but I was pretty sure it would come in useful now. "Back off!" I growled, channelling my inner Damon from the other night. He'd been terrifying when confronting Jacob. And that's what I was aiming for.

The jerk laughed at me before back-handing me to the floor. "Know your place bitch." He spat at me before lunging for Jeremy again.

I got back up to my feet and hit the jerk with all the force I could straight in the stomach. The guy bent from the waist down, his hand clutching his mid-drift and his breath leaving him in a gasp. I heard a crow cawing loudly from a tree near-by which made me smile, looked like even the wild life was enjoying this bully getting taken down a peg or two by a girl.

"Touch him again, and I swear to god you'll regret it." I said bending down to the jerks ear so I could whisper it. I then stood back up, took Jeremy's arm and led him out of the group and towards the cafeteria.

"Bella that was fucking awesome! Are you okay, that slap must have hurt?" Jeremy asked me with a huge grin across his face.

The adrenalin and anger started leaving me to be replaced by something I was pretty sure was shock. My legs turned to jelly and I started getting light-headed. I'd never raised my fist to anyone ever. I'd never needed to resort to violence before. I'd just hit someone!

Just as my knees started to give way Jeremy caught me under my arms. "Bella! What's wrong!?" He sounded panicked.

"Nothing I'm fine. Give me a minute." I said, my breath coming fairly quickly, I was pretty sure that I needed to sit down otherwise I was gonna fall down and take Jer with me.

"Sit here. I'll be back in a second." Jeremy said quickly, he sat me on the front steps before dashing up them and leaving me alone. My head still felt a little fuzzy but my breathing was loosening up a bit. Though my cheek was starting to hurt where that ass had slapped me. What an idiot! Hitting a girl?

I was only on my own for a minute or two before Alaric and Stefan were baring down on me, Jeremy right on their heels. "Bella! Man that's nasty. Jeremy said you were dizzy, how you feeling now?" Alaric asked me with love and worry in his voice, his hand pushing my hair out of my face so that he could see my cheek better.

"I'm okay." I muttered the dizziness coming back again.

"Her heart beats erratic, I think she's having a panic attack. She should go see a nurse." Stefan nodded to me before standing up and heading off the steps into the school grounds.

"Where are you going!?" Jeremy called after him.

"To see Jaime Maloney, he needs to learn some manners." Stefan said, sounding and looking malicious. I'd hate to be Jaime right now. Stefan was every inch the vampire with a point to prove, and I didn't think Jaime was going to like that point somehow.

"Come on we'll take you to the nurse." Alaric said softly before helping me to my feet. "I'm proud of you Bella. Jer told me everything, you must have hit him with some force." He beamed at me.

The nurse sent me home, declaring that I was okay, but maybe I should rest a bit and put some ice on my cheek to stop any swelling.

"I'll ring Damon." Alaric said to me when she'd left the room.

"What why?" I asked, surely everyone didn't need to know everything about what happened here?

"You shouldn't be on your own. Especially when there's a deluded vampire after you and a we don't even know what hanging round still." Alaric said firmly.

"So you're going to get another deluded vampire to babysit me?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

Alaric chuckled before replying with a simple "yup."

As Alaric made the phone call I sat on the bed in the nurses office thinking about the we-don't-know-what.

Jake had turned up at school on my first day. When the bell went and I made my way to my car I was surprised and angry to see him lent against it.

Stefan, Caroline, Elena and Tyler had immediately flanked me. Their easy going chatter from a second ago completely gone now.

Jake looked at the sight; me approaching with a girl and a guy either side of me looking pissed off. He seemed saddened by it.

"What are you doing here Jacob!?" I'd growled out to my once best friend.

"Bells I'm sorry... Last night was messed up... I didn't mean to hurt you, you know I'd never hurt you..." Jacob tried saying, his face full of sadness and hurt. I didn't want to be mad at him, he'd done so much for me. Been sunshine in my darkest hour, but then he'd left and when he decided to come back look what happened. I just couldn't forgive him yet, I was certain I would, but not yet. Real friends don't do what Jake had, I'd found some real friends now and things were starting to get scary and threatening, yet they were still here looking out for me.

"But you did. Twice Jake. You hurt me twice. And every time you lie to me you hurt me more. I want to be friends with you again Jake, but I can't. Not until you tell me the truth, not until you're open and honest with me." I said sadly.

"What, you mean like you were open and honest with me!?" Jake spat at me, his eyes holding anger again.

"No, I wasn't. But at no point did I directly lie to you, I wouldn't have been able to." I said sincerely. What I would have done was change the subject or figured out a way to distract him, but he didn't need to know that.

Jake's face got that angry twisted look about it again and I took a step back, still having deep bruises on my arm from the last time. As I stepped back my friends stepped forward.

"I'd think twice about it if I were you." Caroline hissed looking fierce.

"Bella asked you to leave. So leave." Tyler sounded just as scary as Caroline, wow they were two people I wouldn't ever cross.

So Jake had left, but he'd kept popping up at places I was. Always seeming disappointed that I was never alone.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Damon and Alaric walked into the room. "Take her home Damon." Alaric warned the vampire sternly. "And make sure she stays put." At my confused look Alaric carried on speaking. "Charlie's told me just how stubborn you can be if you don't want to do something, creative too apparently. Just go with it though, do what the nurse said." I rolled my eyes but nodded as did Damon.

Alaric looked between us and half chuckled half sighed. "Right I've got a junior class to teach. Please look after her."

"Fine." Damon sighed as though annoyed, but I could see the amusement in his eyes. "I'll be a **good **babysitter." I could tell he was trying to get a reaction out of me.

"Do you promise? My last babysitter let me eat ice cream and stay up really late!" I said with fake enthusiasm and just a touch of sarcasm as well.

Damon rolled his eyes once more as Ric chuckled again. "C'mon Wild Cat." Damon huffed before walking out of the room, but I could see the smile lightening the muscles in his toned back as he turned it on me. Ha, made him smile. I was glad though, I felt bad for him having to babysit a walking disaster like me.

Damon drove in silence, his music turned up so that talking was impossible. It was only when I realised that we weren't heading for home that I turned it down so I could hear him speak.

"Where are we going?" I asked confused, my cheek throbbing now as well.

"Home." Damon replied simply before turning the music back up, his driving insanely fast. Must be a vampire thing.

I turned the music back down and Damon glared at me, I just rolled my eyes once more. Damon had told me a lot about himself the other day, and while he'd done terrible things in his long life I wasn't scared of him. He made me laugh too much for fear to be a part of our... Friendship?

"You were letting me win the other day! When we were racing!" I scowled at him. His face registered shock for a brief moment before his mask snapped in place. I knew because I knew that look.

"I've no idea what you're talking about Isabella." Damon drawled.

"Sure." I said back sarcastically. He knew. "Anyway, this is not the way home, I live in the other direction."

"Who said we were going to **your **home? Hmmm...?" Damon smirked. Cocky ass.

Soon we were pulling into Damon and Stefan's home. Their beautiful, old, gigantic home. Were all vampires rich?

Damon asked me if I wanted something to eat or drink, or maybe some ice for my cheek when we entered the mansion he called home. I accepted the ice and asked for a cup of coffee, surprised at Damon's hospitality.

After he'd come back with my ice and coffee Damon smirked and asked me to follow him. I did without fear, as I said, there was no room for it on our friendship.

I followed Damon down a long corridor which was barely lit with dark side panelling; this was more what I'd have expected from a vampires house. He pushed open a door at the end of the corridor and stepped back so that I could enter first. When I did I stopped and stared with my mouth open.

"I think I've died and gone to heaven." I muttered in awe.

"Nah. I'm here and I'm **defiantly** hell bent." Damon said from behind me, the smirk still in his voice.

We were standing in a huge library, the space filled with floor to ceiling bookshelves and jam packed with books. Two comfy looking armchairs and a couple of sofa's plus an old looking oak desk were the only other pieces of furniture in the room. It was nirvana.

I ventured to the nearest shelf, looking over the books but not quite daring to touch any of the books themselves; they all looked old and valuable.

I stopped at what looked like an original copy of The Great Gatsby, one of the best books that I'd ever read.

"You **can **read it you know." Damon drawled from somewhere behind me. I turned my head to see him sprawled out in one of the sofas, a whiskey glass in one hand and a book in the other.

"This is your library?" I asked in surprise.

"Well duh... Who's did you think it was? Saint Stefan's? He's all about baring his soul to his diaries, not reading about other peoples lives." Damon said, but his voice was full of concentration. He was reading and talking at the same time. How did he do that!? I barely remembered to blink when I was engrossed in a book.

Gingerly I picked the book up, careful to keep my coffee well away from it and the ice firmly planted between my cheek and shoulder. I must have looked like an idiot but at least the book wouldn't get damaged under my clumsy hands. Slowly I made my way to the cosy looking chair near Damon's sofa and sank into it.

I emerged myself in the world created by . Fitzgerald and reality sank away around me.

It could of been minutes, hours or even days later that a voice brought me out of the twenties and back to the present. "Isabella!" Damon was knelt next to me his mouth close to my ear as he spoke my name impatiently.

I turned to face him with a small jump. His handsome face was inches from mine, his gorgeous blue eyes scanning my face and coming to rest on my lips. My heart started to beat wildly and I knew he could hear it by the gentle smirk that crossed his flawless face.

"Sor..." I stopped myself from apologising quickly, that deal might have been over, but I liked not saying sorry all the time, it was a tiny bit of freedom for me, a tiny bit of a different person from the one Edward had known. "I get lost in books, what's up?" I asked softly, my heart still racing, my eyes going to his full soft red lips.

"Your dad's on the phone." Damon said quietly while raising my phone that he had in his hand and raising his eyebrows at me as well. I couldn't stop the blush that came to my cheeks, that was one thing I'd never be able to control no matter how hard I tried.

I reached for the phone, my face now even closer to his, I tore my eyes off Damon, embarrassed and confused, focusing on my phone instead. Charlie was waiting on the line, which means that he could hear everything, it also meant that...

"You answered my phone!" I said, why the hell would he do that? Annoying much?

"Well you didn't answer it and it had been ringing for half an hour. It was driving me insane!" Damon scowled back at me, moving away from me and handing me the phone at the same time.

I huffed before taking the thing and answering it. "Hey dad!" I said, wondering what dad was going to make of what he heard.

"Hi Bells, who was that?" Charlie asked, I could hear humour in his voice.

"That was Damon." I replied while glaring at the man in question who just lifted one eyebrow and pouted, which made me chuckle. What kind of five hundred year old man pouted. It was ridiculous. And also made something leap in my stomach.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Charlie asked.

"What!? No! Damon's just a pain in my ass. And my friend." Kind of. Damon started laughing on his sofa, obviously able to hear every word from both ends.

I finished my phone call with Charlie after ten minutes or so, he was excited about finding a new fishing spot with Billy and Harry, and he was much happier, knowing that I was happy now. And I was happy. I'd found some brilliant new friends and I was starting to live, starting to become me.

"You didn't tell him I was your boyfriend!? I'm hurt Rocky." Damon smirked at me.

"You'll get over it." I quipped back. "Can I have another coffee please?" I asked as I relaxed back into my chair and picked the book back up. I didn't know how or why, but around Damon I was completely at ease, able to be myself without worry or fear.

"Do I look like a maid?" Damon scowled once more.

"Put on one of those frilly aprons and maybe? Anyway, what's with the 'Rocky'?"

"Rocky, the boxing movies? Surely you've seen them?" Damon seemed stunned.

I blushed slightly embarrassed, I'd seen them just hadn't made the connection. "Never said I was quick off the mark." I told him, I was so open and honest around Damon it worried me slightly.

Damon eventually caved and got me my coffee before sinking back into his own book.

Too soon a pissed off Alaric was ringing demanding that Damon take me home.

When I'd eventually got back Damon had got a lecture on responsibility, one that I don't think he cared for, judging by the way his face got dark and slightly scary. And I got one on letting people know where I was so that they didn't worry.

Friday rolled around soon after and Bonnie collared me in the toilets before lunch at school. "So... Are you coming tonight? Go on it'll be fun. And you need to have a night of fun. This weeks been a drag, homework, the grill, homework, homework. Let's have fun tonight! Please..." She smiled at me.

Tonight was something called senior prank night. And as I was a senior now Caroline, Bonnie, Elena, Tyler and Matt had been bugging me to go along with them. I'd been a bit hesitant at first though, we were going to be breaking laws and after all I had been brought up by a cop. But the more they spoke about past prank nights and what they were planning so that our class stood out I'd been getting turned around. It sounded fun, and Charlie was the one who'd wanted me to break a few rules.

"Sure. I'm coming." I told Bonnie with a huge smile. Smiles were no longer fake, not around my friends and family.

"Yes!" Bonnie grinned before hugging me and then dragging me to the cafeteria where we met everyone else.

~0~

"Wow, you think everyone would be a bit more stealthy about this." I whispered as that night Tylers car pulled up outside of the high school. He was giving a lift to me, Caroline and Jeremy, the others were coming in Stefan's Porsche, and Bonnie was already inside.

"What do you mean...? There's no lights on, you can't tell anything's going on inside." Tyler said with a frown. I liked him, I really did, but he was a jock through and through, a bit on the slow side.

"Yeah, you wouldn't guess that anything's happening inside at all. If you ignored the twenty cars parked outside and the toilet paper covering the football goals that is." I replied sarcastically making Caroline and Jeremy giggle.

"C'mon. I wanna paint the boys locker's pink." Caroline dashed out of the car, her face lit up with excitement.

We headed to the school, whispering and laughing as quietly as we could. Although the mood was light and carefree I noticed Tyler and Caroline scanning the surrounding areas, on constant alert. One of the vampires, Tyler or Bonnie had been with me at all times this week. Stefan had even stayed over with Elena every night. Trying to protect me from Victoria, they thought they were being sneaky about it, I knew that. But Damon had informed me that I was being babysat a couple of days after I'd figured it out on my own. It was sweet, and it helped to calm my nerves over the red headed feral vampire. I was protected and cared about, something I hadn't thought would ever happen again after they left.

Having my friends watch out for me, but also not making me seem like a burden, it was helping me more than they'd ever know. The hole in my heart wasn't painful anymore. It was scabbed over, healing. I was healing. And I couldn't have done that without the group of people that were stood in the school sports hall with me trailing toilet paper over the bleachers.

"C'mon, let's go glue Alaric's desk shut. I wanna mess with him." Elena said while grabbing my hand and running from the hall with me. I ran with her, a smile plastered over my now care-free face.

Elena and I giggled as we thought of new ways to mess with Alaric in his classroom. We drew on the chalkboard. Glued his desk shut and his chair to the floor.

Laughing we decided to pile the desks and chairs up in the middle of the room, poltergeist style.

We'd just got as far as we could reach and I was jumping to try and put the last three chairs up when the one I was holding was taken from my hand and placed on the top easily. Together Elena and I turned with smiles on our faces to thank our helper.

The smiles died on our faces as Jacob was stood behind us though. Elena placed a hand on my arm and started guiding me backwards towards the window. Her plan was easy enough to see.

"I promise. I swear, I'm not going to hurt her. I just want to talk." Jake said to Elena pleadingly. His face was scruntched up with shame and hurt. "I need to talk to you Bella. I need to do it now though, I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Jake every time you've tried to speak to me you get this look on your face like your about to go hulk on me. And if you're so worried about protecting me then why are you leaving?" I asked with a frown. This sounded like he was playing with me a little. His eyes darting for an excuse told me just that, it was a lie to try and get me to speak with him. I sighed, he wasn't going to leave me alone until he said his piece so he might as well do it.

"Fine. Talk." I said while crossing my arms.

"Bella..." Elena said in a whisper.

"It's okay Elena, go and help Stefan in chem." I said, I wasn't scared of Jacob. Not now Alaric had started training me, I had some pretty neat skills up my sleeve now.

Elena looked from Jake to me, her face worried and hesitant. After a second she nodded. "If you need us, shout." She pleaded. I nodded, I knew she meant that Stefan, Caroline and Tyler would be listening out for me.

"So go ahead Jake. Talk." I faced my old best friend with my arms crossed.

~0~

**So there were my two chapters for today, the next two are written and beta'd. Hope you liked todays. **

**Next chapter Damon turns up... Wonder how that will go? **

**Tametiger x**


	11. Chapter 11

**I want to give a HUGE thank-you to everyone who reviewed the last chapters! You guys are freaking awesome and because of that you get another double chapter update! :) **

**Also I want to say sorry for not replying to reviews, I suck at it, but I do read and love each one I get. **

**To answer a couple of questions; **

**I am going to carry on being a bitch to Jake for another few chapters. Sorry but it has to be done. (You'll see why in the long run)**

**I haven't seen any of supernatural season 8 yet as it's not been on my tv yet :( (so no spoilers please :) )**

**Anyway as always I own nothing. And ArabellaWhitlock is my fuckawesome beta whom I love and makes my writing pretty :) **

Firework

Damon

3rd Person P.O.V.

The crow had followed the group to the High School, he knew they'd split up tonight and he knew they'd be having fun. Too much fun to be taking note of what was happening around them. He felt as though it fell on his shoulders to make sure that nothing happened to Isabe... To any of them. He was nothing if not thoughtful after all, the crow thought sarcastically to himself.

This week had been another eventful week for them, all thanks to Isabella once more. He hadn't had this much fun in centuries.

First of all there had been her training sessions which the crow had watched. They alone were hilarious. Bella was good when it came to fighting, and her weapons skills were pretty good too. But watching her jog... Well the crow had almost fallen off a tree from laughing. She tripped over nothing constantly, a completely flat surface was apparently deadly to the pretty brunette.

Then there was the afternoon that Damon had to babysit her. She made him laugh with her quick wit and total ease around him. That afternoon had been relaxing, or it would have been if it weren't for the dark bruise that had formed on Bella's pale cheek. Stefan though had promised that the guy responsible had paid. Not as much as Damon would have made him, but still, some revenge was better than none right?

The crow was glad that he'd decided to tag along and watch tonight because look, there was Elena, queen of naivety, leaving Bella alone with stinky guy.

With a sigh the crow flew to the main door of the building and took his human form.

Quietly Damon moved down the corridor that led to Ric's classroom. Ric had a good job, if Damon had to work he'd be a teacher too. Watching hot cheerleaders all day with complete control over them... Yeah that was Damon's idea of almost perfect. Add some blood and alcohol you had a damn good party.

Damon stopped and listened to the conversation that was going on in the classroom, hearing Tyler relay every word to no doubt Elena, Jeremy and Bonnie who were stood in the classroom opposite.

"Bella... This is ridiculous, I don't even know what to say." The guy said softly. Something about him made Damon angry. Really angry, murderously so.

"You could start by telling me what you are?" Bella's voice was hard and cold in a way Damon hadn't heard it before, it made him smirk. Go Wildcat, give him hell.

"What does it matter Bells, really? Would it change what you think of me? Or are bloodsuckers the only supernatural things that you'll give the time of the day too." His voice came out angry again, Damon tensed ready, if this dick got any closer to Bella he'd rush in. After all she was going out drinking with him tomorrow and he didn't want to go alone again. Plus she wasn't so down on him as Ric was.

"Bella... I'm sorry." She'd gone to walk out the room.

"Yeah, you keep saying that, you keep having to say that Jake. But you know what, if you keep repeating what made you apologise then you aren't really sorry. So save it and tell me the truth, or save you breath and leave." Damn she was good, her voice holding just enough coldness in it to be vaguely threatening but not so much so that she was cutting the guy off altogether. Exactly what Damon would have done if he couldn't torture the information out of the kid.

"Can you remember the legends I told you about our tribe?" Jacob asked Bella softly once more.

"Yeah sure. Er..." It sounded to Damon's ears as though she was straining to remember. "The third wife right? Hang on... You guys changed... Into wolves... You're a werewolf?" Bella asked. That's all we need, another one of those, Damon thought with an angry sigh. Why couldn't dog boy have been something that they could use, rather than something that could kill them all? Another something that could kill them.

"Yeah Bells, I'm a werewolf." The boy confirmed, and started launching into a history of how he was a werewolf, something to do with the sparkly fuckers that were after Bella, and how he could protect the girl.

They sat talking for almost an hour, Bella becoming more like herself with every minute that passed, not phased at all that her friend was a mutt. But then again she hadn't been bothered that Damon was a vampire, or Stefan and Caroline either. The girl was too nice for her own good. Nice, innocent and hot. A combination that had Damon both wanting to run away, yet stay and look out for her at the same time. And of course get her naked and between his sheets.

"I'm glad you told me Jake. I missed you." Bella said and Damon could hear the sincerity in her words. Sincerity and that was it.

"I missed you too Bells." The guy said with a sigh of contentment. "I love you, you know that and I hated fighting. I really did."

"I love you too Jake." Bella said with a smile in her voice. Damon's anger boiled beneath the surface, he could her in her voice that she meant as a friend rather than a lover. But... He didn't know what the but was, it just pissed him off.

"You know I'll always look out for you Bells." Something in his voice put Damon on edge again, tense, ready.

"I know Jake, but you don't need to. Really." Bella said, her voice on edge, also hearing or seeing something in the guy.

"I want to Bells." The room went silent but Damon could hear something, something that sounded like struggling.

Damon rounded the corner and looked into the room, his stomach dropping, the void filling with red burning hot anger.

The guy was kissing Bella and she in turn was trying to push him away without any success. After a second she stopped struggling and instead became limp.

The guy carried on kissing Bella and Damon just stood watching, fuming but not knowing why.

Boy wolf stopped kissing Bella, a blissful smile on his face as he pulled away.

Bella, her face a blank, closed mask looked at the kid. "Are you finished now?" She asked her voice deadly. Jake nodded; bad move.

Bella pulled her fist back and snapped it forward with as much force as she could. She hit the kid in the face with strength that should have knocked him on his ass. Instead she let out a scream.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" She was clutching her injured hand, her face creased with pain which finally made Damon move from his spot in the doorway.

He blurred over to her. "Here let me see." Damon said taking Bella's hand from her and examining it, she'd cracked the knuckle, it must have hurt like a bitch but there'd be no permanent damage. "You'll be okay." Damon reassured Bella before turning to face boy wolf.

Damon glanced at Bella who nodded her head at him, she knew what he was going to do and she wanted it.

Damon pulled his fist back and hit the werewolf. His fist actually did hurt the dog though. It dropped him just like Bella's should have done. As the mutt lay at his feet Damon spoke with all the anger that he was feeling. "I see you near her again, you won't be running with your pack ever again." With that he guided Bella out of the room towards her group of friends that were waiting with frowns and concerned faces. All of them witnessing the last part of the confrontation.

~0~

Bella's P.O.V.

Jake had told me everything, he told me how he was a werewolf and how he had a pack back in La Push, some of whom I actually knew. I started to relax back around Jake, he was my best friend once more and I'd missed him.

"I love you, you know that and I hated fighting. I really did." Jake told me with sincerity.

"I love you too Jake." I replied with feeling. I loved Jacob like a brother, I hated being without him and I'd missed him more than I'd realised.

"You know I'll always look out for you Bells." Jacob told me, something in his eyes put me slightly on edge. I stood up and faced him rather than staying sitting next to him, I didn't want to give him the wrong signals after all.

"I know Jake, but you don't need to. Really." I didn't need him to protect me, I had a whole group of people doing that for me and making me happy while they were doing it. Jacob, I knew he would look out for me but he would also look at things differently than I did. He would think there was hope, there was a chance. And I wasn't nearly ready to date again, even if I was it wouldn't be with Jake, he was like family to me, it would be incest in my eyes.

"I want to Bells." Jacob said standing up and approaching me, his eyes scared me, they were soft and forceful at the same time, full of something...

My heart beat faster as Jacob gathered me in his arms. I couldn't protest before Jake's fiery hot lips were crashing onto mine.

Shock, shock, anger and hurt stunned me for a second before I tried pushing Jacob off me. He couldn't be moved, he was a mountain and I couldn't push him away. His hand tangled into my hair and the other one pulled me closer to him by my waist.

I went dead in his arms. Hopefully being unresponsive would stop him.

It didn't. He carried on kissing me for a minute, one that felt like hours.

Eventually he pulled away from me, gently, completely at odds to his actions a second ago.

"Are you finished now?" I asked in fury, loving how deadly my voice sounded.

Jake nodded with a stupid looking smile across his face.

I pulled my fist back and snapped it forward, putting all the anger and force I could into it. His head didn't move, it was a solid mass of what felt like granite. As my fist connected with it I let out a shriek of pain.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I howled cradling my hand which was agonisingly painful.

I saw a brief blur across the room before Damon was stood next to me. "Here let me see." He said taking my hand softly in his own and looking over my hand. I was pretty sure that I'd broken a bone or two, the pain was familiar. "You'll be okay." Damon declared to me, his voice as soft as his touch. Having him stood next to me instantly made me feel safer, protected. As though he wouldn't let anything else happen to me. A stupid, and wrong thought I was sure.

He turned from me to face Jacob, his face frightening, anger burning around him almost visibly. Again I felt nothing but safe. I wasn't so sure I'd feel that if his anger was directed at me though. He truly was terrifying.

Damon glanced at me, his brilliant blue eyes asking me for permission. I knew, without a word spoken what Damon wanted to do and I nodded. Jake deserved some pay back and as I couldn't give it to the shit...

Damon's fist flew forward exactly as mine had but when his fist connected Jacob slumped to the floor. I heard the thud of flesh on flesh and winced, that must have hurt, the throbbing in my hand though reminded me that he deserved it. In fact he probably deserved more. The dick. I was still angry, but watching Damon deck Jacob had helped a small amount.

"I see you near her again, you won't be running with your pack ever again." Damon's voice while light carried the weight of his threat, leaving no doubt that he'd make good on his promise.

With that Damon faced me, his eyes softening minutely, he walked to me and placed a hand on my lower back, making electric shocks run through my body, before guiding me out of the classroom to where my friends were waiting for me, all of whom were looking both worried and angry.

"What the hell just happened!?" Matt asked, his eyes not leaving Jake who was still slumped on the floor. I think he may have even been whimpering, but then again that might have just been wishful thinking.

"Boy wolf attacked Bella, she hit him, cracked her knuckle, yada yada. I'm taking her to the hospital." Damon said as he swept me passed the group.

"Damn." I heard Jeremy mutter before announcing that he'd ring Alaric. Great, that was all I needed.

As we were out of the hearing range of my supernatural friends I spoke. "Thank you." I said quietly.

"I **told **you. It's fun." Damon said with a smirk. "And you, are welcome, Rocky."

"I'm not going to escape that nickname now am I?" I groaned out.

"Nope." Damon popped the 'p' making me giggle slightly.

"Are you really taking me to the hospital?" I asked.

"Well you've hurt yourself and I don't have a medical degree. So yeah Rocky I am." Damon said his voice light and carefree, punching Jake seemed to have made him happy. It made me happy too.

I groaned again. "Can't we just go home? If I've only cracked my knuckle I've got a brace there. I hate hospitals." I told him as we arrived at his now familiar dark blue car.

Damon looked at me out of the corners of his eyes, his mouth lifting into a quirky side smile. "Hmmm..." He said with a calculating look in his eyes. I swallowed, that look wasn't a good omen I was sure.

"What...?" I asked hesitantly.

"I can fix you up good as new you know?" The smirk hadn't left his face.

"How?" What was he playing now?

"My blood." He said matter of factly.

"Yeah... Say that one again?" I asked, surely he hadn't said what I thought, right?

"Vampires blood, it heals humans. Quickly." Damon told me his eyes shining.

"I'll take my chances at the hospital thanks." I said with a wrinkle of my forehead. The thought was making me feel a little sick.

"Your choice." Damon shrugged before getting into his car, I followed.

~0~

Damon had been right, I'd cracked my knuckle and had to wear a stupid brace on my hand once more, at least it was only for a couple of weeks.

When I left my room I wasn't too surprised to see Jenna, Alaric, Elena, Jeremy and Stefan waiting for me. I was however surprised to see that Damon was waiting with them.

"Uh, you should have taken my option Rocky. That's going to ruin you're outfit tomorrow." Damon winked at me, his brilliant blue eyes twinkling at me and making my stomach leap. Must be because I was thinking about his blood I told myself.

"Are you okay Bella?" Jenna asked me with concern while shooting a glare at Damon.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've had worse." I smiled at everyone who was looking at me with slight worry.

"C'mon, let's get you home where we can talk." Alaric said, his tone serious in a way I hadn't heard it before, his eyes creased with tension.

"Um... Okay?" I replied nervously, I was pretty sure that I was in some kind of trouble but I wasn't entirely sure why. I mean sure I'd hit a werewolf, but then he'd deserved it, and I'd used what Alaric had taught me so the punch shouldn't have done any damage to anything but Jacob. Oh well guess I'd find out what my slight was when we got home.

I followed my family and the vampires out, thinking about my use of that word; 'home'. I'd never really had a home before. No-where that I felt safe and protected. No place where behind closed doors I could just relax and be myself with no worries just like other people my age. Rene and I moved house every other year in Phoenix, no-where permanent, and even when we were settled I always took care of her, took care of the house, the bills, everything. I was the parent in our relationship. When I moved in with Charlie, Forks never felt like home to me and again I took care of him; making sure he ate well, making sure that the house was clean, the cupboards full, laundry done. Again I was the carer.

I'd never belonged anywhere before, I'd never had a home before, never had anyone take care of me before. Then I'd met them, met the Cullen's and although I'd never felt at home or at ease with them, I'd been taken care of. Maybe a little bit too much care of but still. Esme had taken care of me like a mother was suppose to, Carlisle looked upon me like a father, Emmett was forever a big brother, a prankster, a protector.

But here, here in sleepy, quite Mystic Falls I'd finally found my place, my home. These people, people I was considering my family, they took care of me while still letting me live my own life. They were there but not stifling, they never judged me, never laughed at me. They'd only shown me love and encouragement. I'd never be able to thank them enough. Even now, as my past caught up with me they were still standing strong by my side so that I wasn't alone.

"Hey, Bella, you okay?" Jeremy asked me snapping me out of my thoughts. The car had stopped and everyone was piling into the house except for me, I was still sat in Jenna's car lost in my own world.

"Yeah, sorry." I said with a wan smile before climbing out.

"You were doing so well!" Jer said with a teasing smile. I frowned at him not knowing where he was going with that one. "With the whole not apologising thing."

"I guess I'll just have to start again then." I rolled my eyes but smiled despite that. Jeremy was the little brother slash friend that I wasn't so sure I'd wanted, but I defiantly needed.

I followed him into the house, curious as to what was going to be said in the next few minutes. Curious what my guardian would be scalding me for. I held back a smile at the thought; no-one had ever bothered to scold me before.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

As the family all took places in the living room, sat on couches or on arms of chairs, the two vampires both leaned against the fireplace, one either side like decorative statues. Each brother was focused on one person, wanting to know their reactions to what was going to be said and discussed.

Stefan was watching Elena carefully, monitoring her for any signs of distress. She'd clearly come to love Bella as fiercely as she loved Caroline and Bonnie, as though they were sisters. Her worry and pain for Bella warmed Stefan, his girl truly was the best of all of them.

Damon however was watching the other brunette; Bella. He was proud of her tonight, she was extremely beautiful when angry and almost scary. She'd taken on what she thought was a werewolf with no hesitation, her anger flared up like his own did when rialled. That and she'd relaxed the instant he was next to her, he'd felt it in her posture, in her breathing and in her heart rate. Somethings you just couldn't hide behind a mask, no matter how much you wanted to. Damon was starting to realise that. He was also starting to realise that for some unknown and completely stupid reason Isabella trusted him. She felt safe around him. Damon hoped her trust wasn't misplaced, but he knew himself well enough not to place any bets.

Jenna was frowning at the two vampires, her thoughts scattered with anger and worry. There was nothing more she wanted than to protect her family, which as far as she was concerned now included Bella as well. She wanted to shield this fragile girl from everything, but Jenna knew she couldn't. She wanted to chase the vampires from her house and make sure they never returned. She wanted Damon's soulful glare directed at anything but her two nieces, but she knew she wasn't strong enough to protect them without him. More was the pity.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Bella asked, her voice hesitant and unsure as she looked directly at Alaric.

"That boy, Jacob Black." Alaric started, his temper at an all time high and wishing almost desperately that he could have a drink.

"What about him?" Bella asked with wide eyes, she almost looked fearful. "Look I'm really sorry he came here, and I'll leave if..."

Damon cut over her before she could finish, he was loving the sweet, innocent, hesitant voice she was displaying, and his dick was twitching every time she spoke using it, but he was also slightly pissed, he'd thought he'd broken her really annoying habit. "What have we said about apologising Isabella? Hmmm...?" He asked her sharply but with a twinkle in his eye that he didn't know how to prevent.

"Whatever..." She rolled her eyes at him, using her sharp, I take no shit voice that she only used when she was round him. And he loved it, almost as much as the shy girl thing. She turned from him and faced Alaric once again. "I can leave, I didn't mean to bring this with me." Bella carried on, her voice holding heart ache and remorse that touched everyone in the room.

"Of course we don't want you to leave Bella. Don't be thick." Jeremy said, his voice holding a twinge of anger. He wished desperately that she could see herself clearly, but she had no self worth, no confidence.

"Jeremy's right. Said badly." Jenna sent her nephew a stern look. "But he's right, of course we don't want you to leave."

Bella looked down at her hands, tears making her dark brown eyes glisten. Elena moved closer and took one of her hands before whispering gently to her newest friend, the one person in the world who could relate to her. "You're not going anywhere."

"What I wanted to say, was that he lied to you. He's not a werewolf." Alaric said, his anger all but gone now as he saw how it was affecting his broken niece.

"What!? But he said... And the pack from La Push... And he's not human!" Bella said, her words confused and frantic before she stared down at her braced hand. "He's not human." She repeated.

"No, he isn't. His face, almost hurt my hand." Damon backed up Bella's words, that guy had not been human, otherwise he would have broken dog boys skull with the force of his punch. "I said **almost**." Damon said with wide eyes as Bella smirked at him.

"So if he's not a werewolf then what is he?" Elena asked.

"Shapeshifter." Stefan supplied quickly and easily. "He changes into a wolf I'm assuming, and I'm guessing that he doesn't know that he's not a werewolf."

"Okay, so he's not quite a werewolf... What's that matter?" Jeremy asked confused, why was everyone freaking so much?

"Bella has just pissed off wolf boy that can change at will and kill us all." Damon explained with a frown.

"Jacob wouldn't, he won't..." Bella started stuttering, all confused and hesitant again. Damon moved uncomfortably as his jeans seemed to shrink around his dick. If his problem got any worse his zipper would soon be cutting off little-big Damon.

"Did you think that he'd ever hurt you? Or that he'd ever force himself on you?" Jenna asked softly, but feeling her anger rising once more. "We don't know what he's capable of."

"So what does this mean? We've got something else on our plates?" Jeremy asked with a sigh. Could his life get any stranger?

"Yup. And it also means that Rocky there needs a body guard at all times." Damon said seriously. _Hmmm... But what a body to guard._

"I'm already being babysat round the clock." Bella huffed out.

"And look how well that went." Damon replied with a pointed look at the brace on her hand.

"We just have to be more vigilant." Stefan said with a small grimace that was attempting to be a smile at Bella. He knew that all of her friends, himself included, would do anything to make sure that she stayed safe and carried on healing visibly in front of their eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part two of tonight's update! Hope you enjoy :)**

Firework

Drink Till Ya Drop

"You are not going out with Damon looking like that!" Caroline shrieked at me as I came out of my bathroom to find her draped across my bed. It had happened so often now that I didn't even jump. There was an open door policy for friends in this house, which they took full advantage of.

"I thought you didn't want Bells going out with Damon Caroline?" Bonnie asked backing into my room with her hands full of snacks.

"I don't! But she can't go out with him looking like that. Sorry B, but really? No make-up, jeans, a t-shirt, and you're going dancing?" Caroline said sounding frustrated, her voice going all high pitched and shrill like it did when she was upset.

When I'd told everyone my plans for tonight they'd been up in arms. Alaric had almost tried to stop me. But in the end they'd grudgingly given in; especially when I'd explained that I was safe with Damon from the other bad stuff in my life, plus I knew how to use a stake and use it well. Not that I would need to with Damon, I was sure of that. He looked out for me. He was my friend, honest with me to the point of bluntness. And that was just what I needed in my life after being coddled by the Cullen's for so long.

"I'm not ready yet Caroline." I said with a lift of my eyebrows and a smile. "He's not coming till eight and it's not even six yet."

"Oh my god, you need to start getting ready! You've only got two hours!" Caroline gasped. Bonnie and I shared a look.

"How about we sit and chat for a bit before I start getting ready? I need to line my stomach after all." I said while hopping on the bed with the two girls and helping myself to a handful of chips.

"Fine!" Caroline said dramatically making us all giggle.

"Hey, where's Elena?" I asked as Bonnie pushed a spoon for the ice cream at me.

"With Stefan, getting all loved up." Bonnie replied with a wistful smile and sigh.

"So let's just cut to the chase. What is going on with you and Damon." Caroline asked me getting down to business apparently. Bonnie looked at me eagerly too.

"Huh?" I asked dragging this out for them, because it was funny.

"Don't act stupid - spill!" Bonnie said with a knowing look.

"Absolutely nothing is going on with me and Damon. Honestly he's just a really good friend. He makes me laugh and he tells it like he is. Plus he's an ass, and I enjoy being a bitch back." I told my friends sincerely.

"Uh-huh." Bonnie said sceptically. "And you haven't though about those baby blue eyes or those muscles at all?" At mine and Caroline's stunned looks she raised her hands. "What!? Just because I don't like the guy doesn't mean I'm blind!"

"Alright, he's good looking. But really we're just friends." I repeated myself while feeling the sting of regret. Which was stupid, I wasn't ready to date again, and even if I was it wouldn't matter because Damon was defiantly a no go area, I reminded myself.

"That's how it starts. Just friends, then the longing looks, the gazes that go on too long." Caroline started to tease me.

Bonnie cut in joining in. "The electricity as you brush against each other, wishing you had another reason to touch."

"Wanting to just fall into his arms!" Caroline and Bonnie both burst out laughing then.

"Ha ha." I said dryly, while blushing. What they'd just said meant nothing, it wasn't like that. It couldn't be like that.

"Alright, we'll quit. Now what are you wearing then?" Bonnie said her eyes still shining with humour.

~0~

"Wow! Don't you look... **Smoking**." Damon drawled at me, his eyes scanning me from the tip of my toes to my hair. My blush made its way typically to my face.

"Thanks." I said rolling my eyes. I could never quite work out whether he was being sincere or was trying to get a rise out of me, or maybe Alaric who looked like he was about to start spitting feathers.

"Right, well... We better be going then!" Damon said clapping his hands together once before offering me his arm.

"Hold on a second." Alaric said his face stern and his arms crossed in front of him. "You got your money, keys, cell?" Alaric asked me.

"Yeah sure, right here." I replied with a frown.

"Make sure she gets home safe. Sometime before the morning Damon." Alaric glared at the vampire.

"Yeah, yeah. We're going to have **fun **Ric, chill, it'll be fine." Damon said with his smirk, not really helping things.

"I'll be fine Ric. I've got you on speed dial. Don't worry." I smiled at my guardian who looked like he was a mix of worried and angry.

"Have fun Bella, but not too much fun okay?" Ric tried smiling at me. I nodded before heading to the door with Damon.

The door opened just as we reached it revealing Elena and Stefan. "Wow Bella, you look amazing! Totally hot!" Elena exclaimed with a smile for me.

"Thanks!" I replied with a bright smile of my own, I didn't quite believe her but I appreciated the sentiment anyway.

"Damon, a word before you go?" She said her voice harder as she looked to him.

Damon let out a huge sigh of frustration then groaned out "fine!" His patience apparently all but worn out. "Here, I'll be out in a minute. Don't touch anything!" Damon said to me as he chucked me the keys to his car.

"Cool. Can I drive?" I asked, wanting to get him in a better mood, plus teasing him was always fun.

"No." Was his simple answer, but I could see the corners of his mouth lifting into almost a smile.

I huffed out as I made my way out of the door, not meaning it but I didn't want him in a bad mood already. Plus I didn't think that I wanted to be with a drunk pissed of Damon.

I sat in Damon's car waiting for a minute or two before I got bored and put the radio on. I was happily singing along to some crap pop song when he opened the drivers side with a small frown creasing his forehead as though he had a headache.

"I thought I said not to touch anything. And your singing is terrible by the way." He said as he started the car and peeled away from the house as though he couldn't get away fast enough, which he probably couldn't.

"Thank you, I pride myself on my ability to annoy through singing alone. And did you really think I'd listen?" I raised my eyebrow, enjoying myself already, it was just so easy to be me around him. "What did Elena want anyway?"

"She just told me to behave myself. Like I wouldn't!" The fake hurt in his voice made me giggle.

"Uh-huh. So where are we going?" I asked with interest as we passed the town sign.

"Richmond. There's a bar there that's okay, then we'll head to a club. That's if you can keep up Wildcat." He smirked at me.

"I'll give it a go." I smiled back.

"So how are you liking living with the Gilbert's and co?" Damon asked me.

"It's nice. I finally feel like I've got a family, like I fit." I replied honestly, Damon just nodded with a small smile. "What about you, how do you like being Stefan's guardian?" I asked back with a smirk as I did.

"Saint Stefan doesn't need a guardian, he needs to lighten up." Damon grumbled, making me laugh a little.

The conversation carried on flowing, Damon would ask me questions; favourite food, colour, music. I'd answer then ask him one back; favourite city, fashion era, movies. His answers would always surprise me, and by the looks on his face so did mine surprise him. It was a good way to pass the hour it took us to reach the bar, the car was full of laughter, banter and thinly veiled insults.

"C'mon then." Damon said as we got out of the car and headed for the bar, which looked like a dive compared to the grill. "Oh, and by the way; you do look hot tonight Rocky."

"Yeah, you said. Thanks." Again I couldn't hold back my blush.

"And I meant it, but you didn't believe me." It was true, and I still didn't, but I'd take the compliment anyway.

I was wearing black skinny jeans with some black knee high boots which had a kitten heel - obviously Bonnie and Caroline had talked me into them, and taught me to walk in them - teamed with my black leather jacket and a tight red t-shirt with a deep v-line neck that showed off some cleavage. I'd straightened my hair and added some red hoop earrings, and let Caroline do my make-up so that it looked half decent. The effect was okay I supposed, defiantly better than how I normally looked.

"Let's get hammered." Damon said as we reached the bar. "Four shots of Tequila and two beers." He ordered as the bar man sauntered over to us.

"I'll need I.D first." The man replied looking at me.

Damon leant forward and looked the man square in the eye. "No you don't. And they're on the house."

"Here. On the house." The bar man smiled with raised eyebrows at me as he put Damon's order down in front of us.

"Thanks." Damon smirked before turning to face me.

"Yeah, that whole compulsion, jedi mind trick thing is defiantly handy." I smiled taking the beer and sipping it.

"Oh yeah. Now salt on the hand, lime in your other then pick up your shot. Lick the salt, down the shot, eat the lime. Think you've got it?" Damon smirked at me as he demonstrated the best way to take the shots he'd just ordered.

"On three?" I smirked back, I couldn't really believe I was doing this. The only reason I was doing this was because I promised to, I told myself sternly, so it didn't matter that it was so out of character. Right? Besides, my dad wanted me to enjoy life, to live a little, and that was what I was doing.

"One, two, three!"

~0~

"Tell me what it was like, being with Eddie? Did he treat you right Wildcat?" Damon asked as we started walking to the club four hours and way too many drinks later.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." I said in a singsong voice; everything felt really good right now, hazy, but good.

"I don't have one." Damon replied.

"Ah, but you did. I know you did. I can tell you did. You wear everything behind a curtain too... I can see it. It's like mine. But mines a girls one and yours is a boys one." I giggled.

"You're far too observant for someone who's wasted." Damon told me mock sternly.

"You're wasted too!"

"I'm drunk, not wasted, there's a difference."

"I think I passed drunk three teq.. Teuq.. Teil... Three shots ago." I was having a little difficulty getting my words out.

"Yeah I noticed when you and that other girl started dancing on the bar, by the way, I got that on camera, you are sooooo... Gonna regret that in the morning." Damon beamed at me. It was his first real wide smile that I'd seen him with, and the difference it made was astounding. He was no longer just handsome, he was a god. An adonis.

"Coyote Ugly! That was fun!" I carried on trying to distract him from my blush, not wanting the questions that came with it. "So what do you wanna know?" I asked, looking towards the clubs lights less than a block away. It was taking a long time to get there, and I was tripping more than usual.

"What was your relationship like? Did he take you out to meals, bring you flowers, all that pansy crap?" He actually sounded like he wanted to know.

"No, not really. He was a bit obsessed with my eating habits - always making sure that I ate the right foods at the prediscribed - that's not right is it? Erm... At the right times. I never got flowers, but then I hate gifts. He wrote me a lullaby, and he always use to stay at mine. He use to say I was in danger all the time too. And that I wasn't safe unless he was around. Guess he was right there." I said thoughtfully, only tripping on a couple of words.

"What do you mean? Did you get chased down by a lot of psychotic vampires hell bent on revenge?" Damon asked making me giggle.

"No, but I tripped up all the time and he was always there to catch me I guess." I said, trying to think how else I was always in danger, but then it was difficult, I didn't really get in danger until I met him.

"So? You trip now, and btw- by the way- I'm not catching you, it's too funny. But you trip, you haven't killed yourself from it yet." Damon replied with a small frown.

"Yeah... You're right!" I said heatidly.

"Did he use to stop you doing a lot of things cause you might hurt yourself? If he did, that's called controlling and there are people who can help you with that."

"Maybe..." I said thinking again. "Hang on, you've not told me anything yet. What's your story?" I asked as we stepped towards the entrance of the club.

"Later, it's time to dance now." Damon smirked pushing me past the bouncer who was too busy trying to look at my ass to card me.

~0~

"One more! Pleeaassseee...!"

"You said one more three songs ago!"

"One more dance and then we can go, please!"

"Fine, one more song. But then we go, it's gonna get light soon and Alaric will try to kick my ass." Damon said guiding me back to the dance floor once more.

We'd been dancing the night away, both of us together on the dance floor just letting loose and having fun, not to mention getting more drunk than was advisable. Or sensible. I'd had one of the best nights of my life, I'd not once felt awkward or stupid, I'd been completely at ease and had more fun for it.

"What's this?" I slurred out as a song started that I'd never heard before, it sounded like a Rock song which I thought was a little odd considering they'd been playing cheesy pop all night, but maybe the music changed after half four in the morning? I didn't even know clubs opened this late.

"This is Metallica, Devil's Dance." Damon smirked at me as he held his hand out. "Care to dance?"

"With the devil?" I mocked. "Sure."

I took Damon's hand and stepped to him, surprised as he wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me into him. As my body started tingling in a way that was sure to mean bad news, Damon started moving us, almost a slow intimate waltz.

I looked up to see Damon actually looking serious, his face blank and intense, his eyes boring right into my own.

For the duration of the song my eyes and Damon's never strayed from each other. My hole body was humming with something. It stung, and it burnt and it felt delicious in its intensity.

Deep in my alcohol fuelled fugginess I knew that something was very bad, that this feeling was more dangerous to me than Victoria was, but I couldn't bring myself to care as Damon's hand caressed the small of my back, as his other huge hand gently held my small one.

As the song came to an end Damon slowly dipped me, like in the movies, before pulling me back up and holding me for another second or two. Our eyes still not breaking contact.

"I guess I better get you home." He sighed, breaking the spell.

My heart sank as I replied; "yeah, I guess."

~0~

"Where does Ric keep his whiskey?" Damon whispered to me as I tried to take my shoes off in the hallway, everyone was obviously asleep in their beds and I was trying very hard not to make any noise.

"I dunno, but when you find it, I want a glass too!" I giggled.

"You can have a cup of tea and sit on the sofa." Damon replied trying for stern but missing it since he was almost as drunk as I was.

"Milk with two sugars please." I smiled while attempting to take my jacket off, but the arms had shrunk or something, it was really difficult.

"This is the only time I'm doing this. And if you tell anyone I'll lie." Damon replied.

"Uh-huh. Little help?" I asked as my jacket was still proving elusive.

Damon chuckled at me but came over and tugged my jacket off of me anyway before blurring into the kitchen.

I tiptoed into the living room and carefully lowered myself onto the sofa so that I didn't make any noise. Grabbing the throw as I did so that I could put it over myself.

"Here drink this." Damon came in a minute or two later with a glass of whiskey in one hand and my steaming mug of tea in the other.

I took the tea and Damon sat next to me on the sofa tugging my feet up so that they were in his lap, his free hand was stroking my ankle.

I sipped my tea, happy, content and completely drunk. "Thanks for tonight Damon. I think it might have been the best night I've ever had."

"That is just sad and you **need** to go out more often." I could hear the smirk in Damon's voice as my eyelids started to droop. "I had fun too **Isabella**."

~0~

"Shit!" A voice started rousing me from my uncomfortable sleep that had been blissfully devoid of dreams. "Damon! Damon! Wake-up! You've got to get out of here before Ric comes down."

My head was throbbing and my mouth tasted like ash and ass. Even just trying to open my eyes hurt. Last night could not have been worth this. Nothing was worth this pain, surely.

"Five more minutes." I felt someone stirring next to me before settling down again. Oh god, had I fallen asleep with Damon? What had happened? And why was Elena in my room? Did she need me?

I opened my eyes with a groan, the light burnt. Damon was curled up on the sofa with me, it seemed that we had fallen asleep in the living room. A half full glass of whiskey and an empty cup of what I assumed was coffee was on the coffee table in front of us.

"Bella you're awake. You've gotta go to your room, Ric will kill you if he finds you sleeping with Damon." Elena said to me, her face one of worry, but also a tiny bit of judgement there too.

I looked under the throw that Damon and I were under. "It's fine, we're dressed. And I really, really don't think I can move right now." I groaned out putting my head back down.

Elena looked between Damon and me before heading to the kitchen.

"You don't have to be dressed you know, I wouldn't mind." Damon mumbled sounding almost as awful as I felt.

"When I can move I'm gonna hit you for that one." I quipped back. I felt Damon chuckling next to me.

"Here." Elena said, her voice harsher than normal as she banged two mugs of coffee down on the table in front of us.

"Thanks." I muttered meekly while attempting to reach for the mug and not move at the same time.

"Pass me mine." Damon demanded, I wasn't sure which of us he was talking to but I kicked him anyway. "Ouch. What was that for?"

"Not using your manners." I replied before taking a sip of the heavenly coffee.

"Right I'm gonna get a shower, I'll see you tonight Damon." Elena said, frostily. I didn't get it, she was never anything but nice to me, why was she pissed off now, what had I done to upset her?

"Tonight?" Damon asked.

"Movie night at your house." Elena said back before starting for the stairs.

"Who's choice?" He asked with a groan.

"Caroline's." Elena beamed before jogging up the stairs.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

Damon's night hadn't started off brilliantly, first he had to put with Alaric bitching at him about taking care of Bella, then he'd had Elena bitching at him too.

"Damon, a word before you go?" She said in that moaning voice of hers. Sometimes Damon didn't get how his brother put up with her, she was nothing short of nagging most of the time. But then again she'd been a friend to Damon and now she was trying to be one to Bella, he supposed he couldn't begrudge her that. Much.

Reluctantly he'd followed her and Saint Stefan into the living room. Elena had turned and faced Damon, her face almost angry. "Talk, I've got a hot brunette waiting for my **undivided** time and attention." Damon smirked, knowing it would piss them both off and not caring.

"Damon, I`ve accepted the fact that your a self serving psychopath with no human quality`s. But Bella? She doesn't know that quite yet. Maybe it would be nice for you to have one thing on this earth that doesn't hate you?" Elena's voice actually started breaking through to Damon. She might have had a point.

"Do you have a point or do you just enjoy my company that much that you want to keep me here Elena? Cause I'm not so sure that your boyfriend would be happy with that." Damon teased, watching with satisfaction as a pulse started jumping in his brothers cheek.

"My point is, don't give her a reason to hate you Damon." Elena said exasperated. She didn't get how Ric was actually letting Bella go out with Damon, surely nothing good would come of it. And Elena didn't want to see another of her friends get hurt by the cocky vampire, especially one who was only just starting to get over being hurt by other people.

"I won't **Elena**. Now if you excuse me. I'm going to get drunk." Damon said in a bored voice while trying not to think about what his brothers girl had said, or why it bugged him so much. So what people didn't like him? That was just funny. People came and went, the only constant was Stefan, and that was just because Damon enjoyed tormenting him. Damon didn't have any redeeming qualities and that's the way he liked it. So why was he so worried that he might actually make Bella hate him?

Luckily for Damon the rest of his night went better. Him and Bella had a blast, drinking, dancing, shots. Despite spending a prolonged amount of time with her, Damon still found that the girl interested him and shocked him.

First was when she insisted on doing the dance from some chick flick on the bar with another girl - which he thought was totally hot by the way- and which Damon had caught on camera. Then there was the way that she saw through his mask, just like he saw through hers. Then the biggest thing for Damon was that she accepted and even liked him exactly like he was. She wasn't scared of him, she didn't tell him what he wanted to hear - the opposite in fact - just to stop him doing something stupid. She relaxed around him. And that more than anything interested him.

Damon was starting to like Isabella Swan.

~0~

**I really hoped you liked these chapters, this one has been my favourite to write so far. :)**

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**Tametiger x**


	13. Chapter 13

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**Another huge thanks to ArabellaWhitlock my amazing beta and friend 3 **

**Enjoy this chap! **

Firework

Shallow

I was ready and just starting to feel better, just. The headache had gone and so had the sickness, but the aches were still present, my arms and legs felt like they'd been put through one of Alaric's rigorous workouts. But none the less I was ready and willing to go to this movie night thing.

Jeremy had explained to me that it was something Elena and her friends did every few weeks. Elena herself had been cool with me all day. After I'd managed to drag myself off of the sofa and to my room she'd kept completely out of my way, even going so far as to walk out of any room that I was in.

I didn't know what I'd done and I was starting to worry a bit. Maybe she was just getting bored of me already, everyone else did. Either that or she'd finally worked out that I really wasn't good enough, wasn't worth it. I didn't blame her for distancing herself from me. I didn't blame her but it hurt anyway.

Grabbing my keys, phone, wallet and shoving them in my pocket I headed from my room to Elena's worried about the reception that I'd receive, but it was stupid taking two cars to the same place. Stupid and a waste of money. Maybe I should just stay in, if Elena didn't want me around then no-one else would either. I gathered my courage, set for another knock down and headed for Elena's room, if she was still off with me then I wouldn't go.

As I reached her door I heard voices seeping out, hers and Caroline's. I was going to knock, really I was, my hand was raised and everything, but then I heard my name. I know the saying about eavesdroppers, but still I couldn't bring myself to move away from the door.

"I just don't know whether to tell Bella or not. I don't want her to get hurt anymore than she already has been." What was Elena talking about, how was she going to hurt me?

"I don't know what to say Elena, Bella said that they're just friends, and she lies worse than I do." Caroline's voice came back concerned yet truthful. She was right, I couldn't lie to save my life, though lies had come easier to me when I'd been with Edward. Another reason that he'd been bad for me. That he'd changed me, for the worst. Although it pained me I was starting to see that and I didn't like what I'd been seeing. Unfortunately I had Damon to thank for that, like a lot of other things recently.

"You didn't see her with him this morning Caroline. Seriously, they were all cuddly on the sofa... I don't know. Maybe you're right. But..."

"If I'm not Bella will get hurt. Yeah. I know." Caroline paused for a few moments before speaking again, her filter in place for once. "Then yeah, maybe you should speak to her. Maybe we both should. I don't want her getting hurt either, she's my friend too ya know?" Caroline's words warmed me. I really had made some true friends in my short time here. And it seemed as though they loved me just as I did them. For someone who had always been an outsider before... Well it brought a slight glassiness to my eyes that I had to blink away before knocking on Elena's door and ending my eavesdropping.

"Yeah!?" Elena called.

I opened the door and stuck my head around it, despite what I'd overheard I still didn't know how I'd be taken after she'd avoided me all day. "Hey, I'm ready, I didn't know if you wanted to ride together or not?" I hated how my voice came out sounding meek and mild. How it had sounded before I'd moved here and gained more confidence in myself and my friendships.

"Yeah, sure Bella. My car or yours?" Elena asked with a half smile, still slightly uncomfortable but getting better.

"Either. I'm not fussed." I responded before looking to Caroline. "Hey Care."

"Hey Bella. You look terrible! I take it you had a good time last night." Caroline said, her filter gone completely again.

"Gee thanks." I teased with a smile.

"Oh! Sorry... I didn't mean... Urh." Caroline groaned and put her head in her hands but I just laughed, not offended in the slightest.

"It's okay Caroline. Yeah. I had fun. My problem is that I try and match a vampire drink for drink. That's never going to end well. For me." I giggled, remembering the shots. Too many shots.

"You got that right, we can drink you under the table." Caroline giggled. "What about Damon? Was he on his best behaviour?"

"Is he ever?" I replied with a lift of my eyebrows and a chuckle.

Caroline and Elena shared a look before Elena beckoned me into her room. I obliged and entered shutting the door behind me before joining my two friends on the bed.

"Bella, Caroline and I, we need to talk to you." Elena said, her voice grave and her face serious. I wasn't so sure I wanted to hear this.

"What about?" I asked hesitantly.

"Damon." Caroline said as blunt as always.

"What about him?" I knew they didn't like him, I also knew that they didn't like and didn't get us hanging out together. But Damon was fast becoming one of my best friends. I didn't have to ever be anything but me around him, I didn't have to pretend, I didn't have to keep a mask on, although I mostly did. I never felt judged or stupid around him, he was a perfect friend for me. Neither one of us having to be anyone but who we were. Plus he was fun to hang around with. I liked him, he brought out a streak in me that I liked. Reckless and bold, daring, witty. Not me, but who I wanted to be.

"You and him have been spending a bit of time together recently." Elena said slowly.

"Yes..." Where was this going?

"Well there's some things that you should know. I know you say that you're just friends." I cut Caroline off right there.

"We are." I stressed seriously.

"Well just in case." She replied. Just in case what? Damon suddenly decided he was attracted to me? Not likely. He was far too... Maybe not good, but far too good looking, and clever, and funny to ever find me anything other than plain and boring. And anyway I didn't like him like that. Much.

"Bella, Damon... He's in love with me." Elena told me quietly.

I don't know what I'd expected. But that really hadn't been it. And I hadn't expected my reaction to the news either. My stomach dropped and my heart ached slightly in my chest. I felt... Disappointed. Disappointed and kind of sad. Which was a stupid, crazy reaction. Damon and me were friends, friends and that was it.

Something else suddenly came to me as the two girls watched me take the news in silently. "Hang on, you don't...?"

"No! No, no! I love Stefan, Damon... Well Damon's Damon, one day he's my friend, the next day I want to stake him." Elena replied quickly. Was it too quickly? I didn't know. And my headache was starting to return.

"As long as he knows that what does it matter? Like I said, me and him, we're just friends." I was saying the words, but I didn't mean them, it did matter, it mattered more to me than it should. More than was right for just a friend.

"There's more." Elena said before shooting Caroline a pointed look.

"Damon and me. We kind of had a thing once. When I was still human." Caroline blurted out. "Well, he compelled me to like him, to be his girlfriend, fed off of me and basically treated me like crap." Her voice was getting heated now. "But the sex was pretty amazing. And in his twisted little head I'm pretty sure that he classed that as a relationship." No love lost there then.

Okay, so he had a past, live for five hundred years and I was pretty sure that the ex's stacked up. I understood, and I understood why it was Caroline, she was beautiful, she was funny and she was kind. Not everyone was a prude like Edward had been.

"I'm sorry he treat you badly Care, I am. But I still don't see what this has to do with me?" I said, wishing stupidly that it did have something to do with me.

"We don't want to see you get hurt." Caroline said sadly.

"I'm not getting hurt. Thanks for looking out for me, seriously. But Damon is just my friend. And he can't compel me." I added, just in case they were worried that he'd do what he'd done to Caroline to me. He wouldn't, he couldn't.

"Just because he can't compel you doesn't mean he can't manipulate you. Be careful with him." Elena said solemnly to me.

"Thanks Elena, you really don't know how much you caring means. But I trust Damon not to play with me." I assured the girls. He couldn't possibly find anything in me to make me interesting enough to play with. He already wanted Elena, had Caroline, I was nothing compaired to them. I stood no chance.

~0~

We arrived at the boarding house in half the time it normally took, I was driving and I was taking out my frustrations on my poor car. It stood the test, I'm not sure Elena and Caroline did though by the shaken way that they approached the oak front doors. It almost made me giggle, almost but not quiet. I was more bothered than I should have been about our conversation. Much more bothered.

Caroline and Elena just walked into the house as normal - no-one ever seemed to knock here- I took a deep breath before following them, suddenly dreading the evening for some reason.

"Hey!" A chorus of voices greeted us as we made our way into the living room.

"Hey!" We beamed back, I couldn't help but smile at all my new friends who looked so happy that we were there. But a tinge of disappointment wrought through me as I realised the one person that I'd been dying to see wasn't here. I also realised that I'd missed him, even though I'd only seen him this morning. That was not good, not good at all. I couldn't let myself get dependant on anyone. Not ever again.

Smiling weakly I sat alone on one of the leather couches that was still empty, all the others taken by the happy couples. I hadn't felt this left out, this sad, like crying this much in the past few weeks that I'd been here. It was a hollow and painful reminder of just how far I'd come in such a short amount of time.

"Hey! I got the chips!" Matt announced coming into the room with carrier bags full of chips in his hand. The relief I felt at not being the odd one out was almost staggering. I was almost disappointed in how pathetic I was acting again, I was moving on, getting over it, I should not be taking steps backs.

"So what are we watching then?" I asked as Caroline started pulling movies out of her bag.

"Knowing Caroline we'll have chick flicks and disney." Tyler teased while shooting a smile at me but getting an elbow in the ribs for his trouble. "Ouch! Sorry but it's true!" He whined making the rest of us chuckle at him.

"We have 'How To Train Your Dragon', 'Tangled', and 'Coyote Ugly.'" Caroline told us excitedly.

"That's only three!" Jeremy called out, but he sounded quite wary as he did.

"The other one that I got is a total dudes film." Caroline exclaimed looking smug, inwardly I groaned, guys films generally bored me. "'Resident Evil.'"

Everyone else looked almost excited by the choice, and I have to admit it did sound okay, blood and guts, not much chance for loving happy couples in that. I was surrounded by enough of that as it was at the minute and I felt awkward as it was.

"So which one first?" Stefan asked with a grin, his arm slung around Elena. He looked happy, really happy, they both did. How could Damon even think of Elena like that? Her and Stefan were so perfectly matched together, you could see they were the other half to each other.

Damon was perfect for someone; he was funny, witty, infuriating, insightful and sexy beyond belief, but he wasn't the one for Elena, I hoped for him that one day he found that perfect someone for him. The thought though sent a frisson of jealousy and heart ache running deep inside my body, which I knew, which I'd told myself time and time again was stupid. After all I'd only known him a few weeks and I was never getting that attached after that short a time again. Anyway it was a moot point. Damon didn't see me like that. And never would.

"Why don't we watch 'How To Train Your Dragon'?" Bonnie suggested. "I haven't seen it and I want to."

Throwing my legs up on the sofa and helping myself to some snacks I settled into watch the movie, a dull aching feeling of disappointment hanging heavily on my chest as I did.

~0~

"I love that movie!" Caroline declared as the Disney film ended, it had been a good choice in movie. It was light, funny and helped to relax me. By the end of the film I was enjoying myself and my time with my friends once more. Though the main dragon 'Toothless' reminded me altogether too much of another dark haired mythical creature.

"Hey are dragons real too?" Jeremy asked the room. "Cause that would be cool."

"I've never met one in five hundred years so I'm guessing that's a no." Stefan answered with a fond smile.

"Damn, I really would've liked to have my own dragon." I joined in with a smile.

"Anyone want a drink?" Stefan asked standing up and stretching, did vampires need to stretch?

"It's all about the coffee." Elena beamed at her boyfriend, I chuckled before agreeing with her. Coffee would be needed if I was to stay awake, last night had taken it's toll on me.

"Alright, Tangled or Coyote Ugly?" Caroline asked as she crouched down in front of the dvd player, which was of course top of the range. How did vampires get so rich, especially when they didn't exactly work?

"Well I vote Coyote Ugly, what about you Wildcat?" Damon said from behind me, his deep cocky voice burning through me and relaxing me at the same time. He was here! The relief I felt was almost painful in it's intensity. I truly was pathetic.

"Yeah, Coyote Ugly, like toothless said." I smirked at Caroline and got chuckles from everyone else in the room except for Damon.

"Budge up, I wanna sit down." Damon said, his mouth close to my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

"Do you mean please Bella move so I can sit down and watch the movie?" I asked in an innocent voice.

"Nope I mean budge." He replied cockily.

"Not until you learn some manners." I bit out. I was glad he was here, I was relaxed as we fell in to our usual banter but I hated the fact that the pain was still niggling my chest as I looked to both Caroline and Elena, the two beautiful, kind girls whom I called my friends. The two girls that I was feeling slightly jealous of. Stupid.

"Neither of us have got time for that and I've got eternity." Damon sighed before I was being picked up and then placed back down in exactly the same position I was in, just with Damon under me this time.

"Hey!" I glared at the dark haired man who was looking at me with faux innocent blue eyes.

"Oh relax." Damon smirked at me. I tried to move away from him, to untangle my legs from his strong arms, his gentle hands from my calves, but his grasp was too strong and after a minute I just gave up and huffed.

We sat through Coyote Ugly tangled together and I tried desperately to ignore the incredulous looks we were getting from the others every few minutes. I did however kick Damon a few times 'accidentally'. That made me feel slightly better and smile every now and then.

After the movie finished Damon pushed my legs off him, getting up with a smirk on his face. "I've got my own home movie that I think you'll all enjoy before the others." The malicious grin that he shot at me told me that he was about to get me back for kicking him. Crap.

"I don't think I wanna watch any of your home movies thanks." I tried to stop it, unfortunately Damon was already at the television hooking up his phone. I started to feel a little nauseous.

The movie started and I was completely mortified at what I was seeing. There I was stood on some seedy bar with another girl who looked as wasted as I did, dancing along to the Devil Went Down to Georgia and managing the moves from the dance that went with it from Coyote Ugly pretty well.

"Oh my god Bella!" Caroline gasped out in between giggles. I planted my hands in my face and groaned. I couldn't believe that I'd done that.

"Shit!" I heard growled out from the movie on the screen and lowered my hand to see what had made Damon curse, remembering nothing from that incident at all. Two guys were pouring Tequila along the bar and one had got a lighter out. Yeah that was a bad idea with my track record, how the hell had I managed to avoid third degree burns?

"C'mon Wildcat, time to get down!" Damon said from the television, the camera jostling as he moved closer to the bar.

The movie cut out just as I looked at the camera smiled and shouted "catch me!" Before launching myself off the bar and at the vampire.

The room erupted into laughter as the screen went black, even Stefan was laughing.

"Why?" I asked Damon pathetically, I could feel my face turning a healthy shade of fushia.

"Cause I can Wildcat." He smirked at me.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

Damon walked into the room, his chest easing slightly at the sight of the brunette sprawled out over one of the sofa's. Whenever he wasn't with her he felt concerned, worried. It was disturbing for him, he felt the need to protect her, to look out for her, to be her friend and most importantly to him to bed her. The one thing he had no intention of doing, that he really didn't want to do was hurt her or feed from her. That really worried him. Of course he wanted to place his fangs in her sweet neck and taste her nector as she was screaming in pleasure, that was a given. But he wanted more from it than just that. And that made the vampire decidedly unhappy.

Damon hadn't cared about anyone, not really, not since that evil bitch Katherine had fucked him up and fucked him over. He liked it that way and he wanted to keep it that way, but here was this girl, this innocent, hot, fuckable girl messing that all up. She was worming her way in to his affections and not only did Damon not know how to stop it he wasn't sure if he wanted to.

Verbally sparring with Bella always brought a smile to his face and tonight was no exception as together they curled up on the sofa and watched movies. Though the way they were curled up was somewhat reluctantly on Bella's side of things he could tell.

The brunette vixen always relaxed when she was around him, visably so. That night however every time she relaxed she'd shoot a glance at vampire Barbie and the Ice Queen and stiffen up. Refusing to let herself feel the calm that she normally did round him. Something had happened, something that had Bella pulling away from him, and if he wanted to get her in his bed again, which he did desperatly; preferably with less clothes this time, he had to put up a fight.

Stefan watched his brother and Bella, not liking what he was seeing which was hardly new to him, but that night was different, they were different.

Damon kept stroking parts of Bella, her foot, her ankle, her calf. Bella however was trying to pull away from him, trying to shut him out. Something that she was failing to do.

Stefan had his theories about this. The first was that something had happened between them on their night out together. However he quickly dismissed this idea in his fast working brain. Bella was always quick to blush and if something had happened he had no doubt that her face would resemble a ripe tomato. No nothing had happened between them.

Maybe she was pulling away as she was scared of getting hurt again? That seemed logical to him, and she was right to do so. Damon wrecked everything he touched, he was dark and dangerous. Damon would no doubt hurt Bella if she ever gave him that chance.

That seemed like a likely theory but Stefan couldn't help but think there was slightly more to it. The girl kept looking towards Caroline and Elena, her face almost pained with every look, that's when she'd start pulling away from his brother. Something had happened, they'd said something or done something to cause this reaction.

Although Stefan didn't like seeing the witty and feisty girl become slightly hurt, slightly withdrawn once more he could only think of it as a good thing. Damon was trouble, and rather than being hurt or worse, dead, down the line Bella should carry on pulling away from Damon now. It would save her in the long run.

~0~

**Soooo... What did you think? Did you like it, hate it? I wanna know :) see you next time,**

**Tamtiger x**


	14. Chapter 14

**Major thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Lots of not so fuzzy feelings about Elena going on :) **

**So here's the next chapter, as always ArabellaWhitlock rocks my spelling and grammar! **

**Hope you enjoy!**

Firework

Alone

The next couple of months flew by for me, school was school, it never changed wherever you went, however far you travelled, it was easy and boring and that was all there was to it.

The major difference at school was my extra curricular activity. A week after my first movie night Bonnie, Caroline and Elena had cornered me. They had told me all about the fun they had together cheerleading, Caroline being the captain and the other two her seconds. I listened with a smile while slightly bemused, I was glad they had fun, but why tell me all about the new trials they had coming up to replace the members who had graduated?

It all became clear when they stared to ask me to try out. Obviously I point blank said no, why the hell would I try out for a sport when I couldn't even walk in straight line without falling on my face? Bad idea right?

Apparently though I was wrong. After a week of nagging I went to the trials just to prove my point. I couldn't do it without injuring myself or others. In my head a broken wrist was worth it, as long as it stopped them bugging me. It was almost like being around Alice once more without the annoyance.

I arrived at the trials with about twenty other girls, knowing that even if I did manage to not fall over there was no-way I was gonna be better than them. I hadn't reckoned on the judging panel being so biased though. It consisted of Caroline, Bonnie, Elena and another girl called Gina who'd I'd become friendly with in my English Literature class.

The trial was basic, we had to watch one of the routines and copy it as much as we could.

Unfortunately dancing came easy to me, which I would never have thought it would until I met Damon. So I got through the first round easily, in fact, Elena told me later that I was by far the best, I wasn't sure whether to believe her or not but I did realise that I was okay.

The next round was harder, we had to try the stunts. I managed to make it through without killing myself much to my surprise. The next round was simple after that, a group routine combined with stunts. Me and seven other girls were the last in, and I found myself down to the final three that had been accepted.

I was on the cheerleading squad. And I didn't hate every second. In fact I quite enjoyed knowing that I was good at a sport. Another moment, another thing where I felt myself becoming the girl I'd wanted to be rather than the girl that the Cullen's and circumstance had shaped me to be.

The other thing that happened that week was that I turned eighteen. I hadn't told anyone that it was my birthday and when I'd spoken to Charlie I'd begged him not to tell anyone either, reluctantly he'd agreed. I hated my birthday, last year it had been the cause of my world falling apart, that and I hated being the centre of attention.

So as no-one in Mystic Falls knew it was my birthday it was without any trepidation that I went round to the boarding house that Saturday when I got a text off Damon saying he was board. It was a pretty normal text to get off the vampire and as I had no other plans I jumped in my car and drove over.

"Hey!" I called as I walked into the house, at ease as anyone else here now.

"Up here!" Damon shouted back, I could hear the smirk in his voice from two floors down.

I jogged up the stairs only tripping twice before I walked into Damon's room. I still felt safe in this room, safe, cozy and somehow at home. Damon was sprawled on the bed with a book in hand and snacks scattered round him.

"If you're just gonna read then why am I here? I can do that on the comfort of my own bed." I asked while plonking myself next to him and scattering the snacks everywhere earning myself a scowl from Damon.

"Cause my beds comfier, I have **silk** sheets and you have **nylon**." Damon said 'nylon' like it was a swear word which elicited a giggle from me.

"You don't know that I have nylon sheets, you've never been in my room, I might have silk as well." I teased while grabbing 'Ninteen-Eighty-Four' which I'd started reading here a couple of days ago and which Damon had thoughtfully brought up so I didn't have to go back downstairs. He wasn't such a jerk when you got to know him.

"I know **you**, and you do not have silk sheets." Damon told me with a smirk. He was right, I didn't.

Together we spent a nice day reading, bantering and eating junk food. As well as that anytime that I wanted anything from downstairs Damon got it from me, as he could read and walk without killing himself on the stairs, unlike me. It was the best birthday that I'd ever had, and he didn't even know it was my birthday.

As it started getting dark outside Damon shifted on the bed sending me rolling into him. Instantly I moved away, my stomach flipping slightly at the contact however brief. Since Elena and Caroline's confessions I'd done all I could to quash any feelings that I had towards Damon that weren't purely friendly, it hurt my heart slightly but I had to do it. I couldn't let myself get hurt like I had been ever again.

"Come on, I want some dinner, let's go out." Damon said, avoiding my eyes as I moved from him.

"Okay." I said while stretching.

"I think there's a dress that Elena left here in the wardrobe." He told me, I wondered why he had one of Elena's dresses in his room, and I hated the pang that swept through me.

"Why do I need to get changed into a dress for dinner?" I asked grumpily, I hadn't exactly got over my aversion to getting dressed up but I was getting better, dresses though were way beyond my comfort level still.

"Because I'm taking you somewhere nice, you can't turn up looking like **that **Wildcat." Damon told me while sweeping his eyes up my body pointedly and making me blush furiously once again.

"Why can't we just go to the grill?" I grumbled, still not ready to admit defeat even though I could see I was going to lose.

"**Because **I want something a bit better than a bucket of fried chicken for a change. Now get changed klutz." Damon said while rolling his eyes, and there it was, I'd lost, just as I knew I was going to. With a sigh and a scowl of my own I got off the bed to get changed, knowing that I'd be able to tame my hair with the hundreds of products that Damon kept in his bathroom.

Half an hour later I came out of the bathroom feeling like shit. I looked good, I looked really good, but I'd had three of Elena's dresses to chose from along with shoes and in the bathroom there was a fully stocked make-up bag. Obviously Damon had been entertaining more ladies in his room recently and he wasn't bothered that I knew. I hated that I cared as much as I did.

With tears swimming in my eyes that I'd wanted to deny were there I'd got dressed into a dark blue dress that came up to mid thigh and showed off some cleavage and teamed it with some matching kitten heel blue sandles. My hair was down and wavy, almost curly, and my make-up was light but noticeable, making my eyes and lips stand out in my pale skin. Outside I looked good, inside though, I was hating myself and my circumstances. Which was stupid, I didn't like Damon like that. I didn't.

"Wow WildCat you look **fantastic**!" Damon told me as I walked out of the bathroom his eyes raking up and down my body making my trademark blush sweep across my face.

"Yeah. Thanks." I muttered my feelings all over the place. My eyes trying hard to avoid the man who looked far too good.

"Okay...?" Damon said looking confused. "I guess we better go eat?"

I just nodded and walked from the room, feeling Damon trailing behind me. I could always feel where he was whenever he was around me, I don't know how I felt about that.

Damon linked arms with me as I started walking down the stairs, smirking as I turned to face him, a question plastered across my features. "Don't want you falling down the stairs now do we Wildcat?"

I rolled my eyes and tried to stop the smile that wanted to cross my face. He might be a jerk, but I couldn't help finding him funny.

"Hey Wildcat?" Damon asked quietly as he guided me round the last bend that led to the bottom set of stairs. I turned to look at him, knowing he wouldn't let me fall down even if I did miss a step. "Surprise!" He whispered in my ear a second before it was shouted out by numerous voices down below us.

I gasped as I turned to face the vast living area beneath us. It was decorated in streamers and balloons, the effect on the cavernous room was amazing, it looked light and open, warm and inviting. Standing admist all the decorations was a mass of people. At the front of them was Alaric, Jenna, Jeremy, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and Tyler. Their faces had the biggest smiles of them all as they looked up at me. I was stunned.

"What!? How!? Why!?" I stuttered out, completely bemused, had Charlie sold me out? Had he told them? I thought I'd done so well keeping this from them as well!

"I heard your phone conversation with your dad a while ago, super hearing remember Klutz?" Damon said with a chuckle as I missed a step, his strong arm kept me steady and pinned to his side though. I tried to ignore the tingling warmth that spread through me at his touch. "Happy birthday Isabella." He whispered in to my ear as he started tugging me forward to greet my guests.

That night was full of surprises and I found myself enjoying it, not hiding away and hating it as I would have done before. My first surprise that night had been Charlie, he was there with a huge smile on his face, despite hating parties almost as much as I had done previously.

"Dad!" I squealed when I'd caught sight of him, my arms fastening around him in a long over-due hug. "How?" I asked as he pulled me into a tight hold, his face breaking with the intensity of his smile.

"Damon got me a flight out, wouldn't take no for an answer." Charlie said with a warm laugh. "He's a good 'friend' Bells." Dad placed an extra emphasis on the word friend making sure that I knew he didn't believe that was all that was going on between us.

"Dad, he is just that, a friend." I said with a sad smile as I pulled away.

I spent the rest of the night dancing, laughing, talking and generally loving my life exactly how it was. I'd never felt so much love from so many people before. I'd never felt so whole and so safe, so at home. It was perfect.

My other biggest surprise was waiting for me in Stefan's hands at the end of the night. He held a massive wrapped box, one that looked like a normal guy would have had trouble holding up. He stood looking at me with a smile as he held it out, Damon, Elena and Jeremy stood next to him.

"You guys have done so much!" I cried out slightly tipsy. "You best not have got me a present as well." I threatened, only half joking as I walked up to them.

"Blame him, it was his idea." Elena told me her eyes lighting up with amusement as she tilted her head towards the black haired vampire stood next to her brother.

"Of course it was, all the best ideas are mine." Damon said while shooting me a wink that had my heart beating slightly faster, something I might have been able to control better if I'd not drunk so much. Thank god Alaric had kept Charlie busy, I didn't think he'd be so happy to actually see me drunk.

"Open it!" Jeremy said eagerly, his tone making me think that I wasn't the only one who'd been indulging.

I went to take the box out of Stefan's hands but he kept a firm grip on it, when I looked at him questionly his smile got wider. ""Lift the lid, it's heavy." He explained.

Curiosity swept through me as I tugged at the red bow that kept the lid attached to the huge bottom of the golden wrapped box. Looking inside I saw a dark black helmet and a dark black leather jacket, jet black knee high boots with a kitten heel and some black leather pants.

Confused I looked up into the faces of my friends. "Am I robbing somewhere?" I asked them.

All of them started laughing, but Damon was the first to answer me with an eye roll. "Not unless you want to Wildcat, but if you do don't expect me to bail you out."

"Hell no. I'd expect you to be sat in there with me." I replied with my own smile, but it was true, if I'd done something that stupid I'd have done it only with Damon, the one person who brought that side out of me.

"True." Jeremy smirked.

"They're for this." Damon said as he pulled a key attached to a black key-ring out of his pocket. He handed it to me with his crooked grin spread across his face and something in his eyes that looked almost like excitement.

"Gee, thanks?" I said, confused yet again.

"Look outside Klutz." Once more those baby blue eyes rolled at me while trying to conceal his amusement.

I walked past my friends and out of the door, curious as to what was outside, if I hadn't drank so much I might have caught on before I saw it.

She was standing outside. My bike from Mike's, the one I'd drooled over, the one I'd dreamt of. She was sat there waiting for me. I ran my hand over her leather seat with reverence, I couldn't believe it.

"Ohmygod!" I squealed, which was unlike me but in my defence I was really excited and slightly inebriated, spinning on my foot to face my friends again. "Oh my god! I can't believe you guys did this! You shouldn't have spent this much money on me! Thank you, thank you!" My tone went from scolding to excited to thankful in a matter of seconds. I didn't quiet know what to feel. I hated the thought that my friends had spent that much money on me but at the same time I was so grateful. Defiantly one of my better ever presents.

I sprung forward and wrapped my arms around Elena first and then Jeremy, hugging then fiercely and trying to stop stupid tears from forming in my eyes. Next I hugged Stefan who awkwardly hugged me back with one arm. Then I turned and threw my arms around Damon, knowing without a doubt that it had been his idea.

Damon wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back, electricity shot through me at the intimate contact. "If you're still worried I'll teach you how to ride Isabella." Damon muttered into my ears as we stood in a comfortable embrace.

"Thank you." I whispered with a small nod before looking up at him. His baby blue eyes that held so much power over me burned into mine, his face serious with something, and only centimetres from my own.

Someone cleared their throat and both of us looked away from each other before moving out of our hug. I missed his contact as soon as it was gone.

Charlie hadn't been happy about the bike, infact he'd been totally pissed. But he left after two days and then couldn't really say anything about it, and during our long conversations over the phone I always forgot to mention the fact that true to his word Damon was teaching me to ride my new powerful bike.

I was pleased that so far I'd only fallen once and that was when I'd tried to climb on to the bike for the first time. Thankfully Damon had caught it before I could drop it and it didn't have a scratch on it, though he'd laughed his ass off at the bruises that I'd received.

I'd had the best two months of my life, though I hadn't had a minute to myself. There was cheerleading, school, talking to Charlie, training with Alaric and hanging out with my friends, not to mention the fact that even though we hadn't seen any vampires but the usual ones I was never left unguarded even for a minute. I was grateful. I really was. But I was desperate for some alone time, even half an hour to myself and my thoughts would have been nice.

It was that stiffling, claustrophobic feeling that lead me to take action one morning, getting up early putting on my sweats and heading out for a jog. Blissfully alone.

Little did I know that need for some alone time would bring my happy life crashing down around me once more.

~0~

Jasper P.O.V.

"Jazz?" My little pixie called out as she ran silently to my side, her emotions worried and sad. Always sad.

"Hey darlin'." I replied pulling her into me and which had the effect of calming me instantly despite her ever dark emotions.

"You left." Ahh the reason for her worry.

"Sorry Al, I just couldn't." I tried to explain myself, my need for solitude.

"I know and for my part I'm sorry." My world said.

I couldn't stand to be around the family for more than a couple of days at a time anymore. Their depression was waring on me, their guilt, sadness, worry and pure heart break. Even Rose was feeling it to a certain degree. The worse though without a doubt when he came back was Edward, his emotions and self hatred were a swoorling black pit of pain that dragged me in with him, and that was my reason for bolting like a horse after the gun this time; Edward was back. Even a year later none of my family could get over their devastation at losing Bella.

Together my little pixie and me sat against a tree, leant into each other and taking the comfort only we could give each other.

Silence, peace and calm surrounded us for three blissful hours before it was shattered.

I felt Alice stiffen in my arms and instantly knew she was in a vision, I pulled her round to face me as I felt her emotions twisting from relaxed to horrified. Panic, pain, resolve and hurt all flew from my girl.

The vision only gripped her for a couple of seconds but that was enough to have destroyed any semblance of calm that we'd developed together.

"Alice, what is it?" I asked as I gripped her shoulders tighter in my hands, her fear attacking me and becoming my own.

"Laurent." Alice whispered her voice horrified and scared as well.

"Laurent? What about him?" I asked confused, as far as I knew he was staying with the Denials and had been for over a year an a half.

"He's gonna drain Bella."

Shock hit me, but this time the emotion was purely my own. Bella. Then I felt anger and protectivness. A mixture of my own thoughts and Alice's. Perfectly attune as always.

"You promised Edward darlin'..." I started saying, not that it was gonna stop us.

"I didn't look for her Jazz, I swear I didn't. But I just can't ignore it Jasper, I won't!" My little pixie started looking like the vampire she truly was.

"When and where." I asked my voice as hard and serious as hers.

"Mystic Falls, where-ever that is. I don't know when. But it's soon Jazz." Alice whimpered.

"We'll get there in time darlin', I swear." And I do everything in my power to make sure that we did. I owed Bella that much. And I was gonna make sure that fucker burned just like James did. No-one fucked with our family and got away with it.

~0~

Damon P.O.V.

I was jerked rudley from my sleep by a damn pain in my chest. What the fuck?

I looked at the old carriage clock in my room, an heirloom from a couple of hundred years ago, I was almost surprised it still worked. I groaned as I saw it was only five-thirty. I'd been asleep for less than two hours.

I didn't need to sleep as much as a human, but I still liked to get in a few hours every night, unless I was doing something incredibly fun anyway. Fuck I might be beautiful forever but who wanted to take the chance that no beauty sleep would take it's toll? Not me, that's for sure.

I rolled over on to my front, relaxing in my unbelievably comfortable bed. How the hell could anyone relax in less than this?

I closed my eyes and started drifting off once again when my phone beeped. It rang twice before cutting off and my chest got that pang of pain once more.

Who the hell was calling me at this time in the morning? I grabbed my phone and looked at it. Isabella?

Why was my Wildcat calling me? And at this time in the day?

I pressed re-dial and waited to hear a sarcastic remark, or a scathing put down. What I didn't expect was nothing. No answer at all.

Fear started pooling in my stomach, quickly followed by anger. Okay, for once in my long un-dead life I needed to take a breath and think before acting.

Stefan. Saint Stefan! He could actually be useful for once, he was round there taking his turn Klutz watching. Sometimes I wished I could Klutz watch in the middle of the night. Though preferably when she was cuddled up to me naked.

"What Damon!" Stefan asked in his usual moody tone. Someone didn't like being woken up in the middle of the night! Awww.

"Is Bella okay?" I asked, straight to the point for once. I was probably being paranoid, though why I had no idea. But still, better safe and all that shit.

"I haven't heard anything to say otherwise, why?" Stefan said and I could hear him getting up to check. There were times that I was actually quite glad my brother was so anal about things. Okay, maybe not, but this time I was happy about it.

"Just check for me, okay?" I asked, more stressed as the minutes passed, stupid girl was getting under my damn skin and into my head. I just wished I could get my head in to...

"Shit she's gone!" Stefan told me, worry and annoyance clear in his voice.

"Fuck." I growled before jumping from my bed. She was in trouble. I could feel it.

~0~

B.P.O.V.

I ran, sweat pouring down my back, my legs burning, a stitch in my side and the beat from my music thudding in my ears. For the first time in three months I was finally on my own. My thoughts whirled around me but I blocked them out for now. I'd jog until I couldn't take anymore before having a slow walk home and taking the time to properly digest everything I wanted to. Reflect on my life now. I was happy, for the first time in my life I was almost perfectly happy but I still had issues that I needed to deal with, I knew that and I wanted to think about them deeply before deciding how to deal with them. I was going to fight my demons and I was going to win.

The sun was almost coming up when I turned the corner heading for school, I'd been running for fifteen minutes and much to my eternal delight I hadn't fallen once, I'd stumbled a few times but not fallen, and that was defiantly progress. Alaric's training was working, that and being on the cheerleading squad was giving me better balance. I owed Bonnie, Caroline and Elena for that one.

I could see the school up ahead, my half way point between home and away, I'd turn round here and take the walk back.

Trees pushed into my from either side, seeming to get closer and closer. Claustrophobia started to gather in on me. This was wrong, this was bad, I need to turn around and run back. My instincts were screaming at me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, goosebumps were breaking out over my arms despite the warm weather.

I decided to go with my instincts instead of against them for once, I wasn't safe. I turned on my heel and started running back.

An unnatural wind blew across my back, someone was behind me. I could feel it in every pour, every hair, every muscle of my body. I knew what it would be, I knew I didn't have a chance of out running it, and stupidly I had nothing on me to fight one of them off.

I turned my music off and turned to face the vampire who was waiting behind me, pressing speed-dial as I did. It wouldn't be enough and he wouldn't be here soon enough, but I didn't have anything else to fall back on.

"I can hear that ringing you know, turn it off please." A voice I recognised vaguely said as I turned quicker, my hand turning off my phone. Hopefully it would have woken him, hopefully he'd think to come looking, hopefully he'd get here fast enough. I didn't have a lot of hope though.

"Laurent?" I asked in surprise as I took in the vampire before me. Of course he hadn't changed at all in the two years since I'd last seen him. Though I had expected his eyes to have, but they hadn't, they were still a crimson red, tinged with the slightest amount of black. Shit, he was hungry. That wasn't good.

"You remembered?" Laurent asked me back, his voice and stone face registering amused surprise.

"Well yeah, I don't know that many vampires by name." I responded, telling myself while I did that I should probably keep my mouth shut. Pretend to be that shy wallflower that I had been when Laurent had first met me.

"I suppose you don't." Laurent said, his eyes chilling me as they danced with mirth. "I must say, I am surprised to find you out here alone." Keep quiet, keep quiet, I kept repeating to myself silently. "I rather thought that I'd find the Cullen's here with you."

This was good, if I could keep him talking long enough maybe help would come. "Is that why you're here? I could pass on a message if you'd like I'm sure, but then wouldn't the Denial's know how to contact them better? I'd thought that you were staying with them in Alaska?" I tried to keep my voice quiet, to keep any hint of confidence out of it.

"What you say is true, I have been staying with the delectable Denali sisters, though I am finding their diet rather hard to follow." Laurent smirked at me as he started circling me. I was fast running out of time. C'mon get here already!

"So what brings you to sunny Virginia? I'm guessing it isn't the weather?" Okay, the whole wallflower thing wasn't helping in the not getting myself killed thing. Maybe if I shocked him with my attitude he'd keep talking? Oh god, please let him keep talking.

"I'm here on a favour for my dear friend Victoria. She is most displeased with you and the coven which kept you as their pet. The things she has planned for you." Laurent shook his head with disgust, fear spiked through me. If another vampire was upset with what the red-head had planned for me then I was pretty sure that I didn't want to experience it. "But I'm thirsty and you smell delicious. I'll make it fairly painless dear child. Though I do have to inflict a bit of pain, Victoria would be most displeased with me if I didn't. But I assure you that in comparison death by my hands will be far more comfortable for you."

I knew it wouldn't help, I knew it wouldn't, but my fight or flight mode kicked in and I couldn't fight with nothing so I turned on my heal and started to run.

I hadn't even got a meter when something was thrown into my back with the force of Tylers truck that first should have killed me back in Forks. I heard a crunch and my ribs started burning a white hot agony. I couldn't help the scream that ripped through my body.

The next thing to break was my ulna, that long bone in my arm. Again I screamed, the pain becoming so much that I thankfully started to fade into black. I wanted alone time and I was getting it, I was dying alone.

Just as I was going under I heard a beautiful feral roar, one that I'd never heard before but I knew anyway. He'd come.

With the knowledge that I was safe, that I wasn't going to have to go through anymore pain I stopped fighting the inky blackness that wanted to take me, instead I embraced it.

Through the dark fug I felt a slicing pain rip into my neck. It was a hot pain, one that started getting hotter, it was burning, I was burning. Oh god I was burning and it was agony. "Damon!" I screamed in panic trying desperately to force my eyes open. "Damon!"

I heard the awful sound of metal screeching and being torn apart before the furious voice that I wanted to hear was next to my ear, pain colouring their voice. I'd never forgive myself if he was hurt because of me. I wasn't worth it. I never had been.

"Bella!"

"Damon! Don't let me turn into one of them! Please, not into one of them!" I screamed through the scorching heat that was burning through me.

**A/N:- **

**I seemed to have confused a few people - sorry about that. Damon pretended to love Elena just to get on Stefan's nerves (which I completely get) Stefan told Elena that Damon was in love with her, he can't keep anything from her after all. Hope that clears things up for people. **

**I really liked writing this chapter and can't wait to hear what you all think! Fierce Damon's for everyone who reviews :) **


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi! I want to say a HUGE thanks for all the reviews I received for the last chapter - here's the next one. Hopefully you won't all think I'm as evil for this one ;)**

**As always I have to thank my amazing beta and sounding board ArabellaWhitlock (hope that hareems treating you well lady!)**

**I own none of these characters - if I did there would be nudity. Lots of nudity. **

Firework 15

Changing

Damon P.O.V.

I'd followed Bella's scent as the crow, knowing it would get me to where ever she was faster, but I still wasn't fast enough. My heart dropped into my stomach as I saw Bella sprawled on the floor, I could see that some ribs were very obviously broken and her arm too. The cold one was stood with an almost remorseful smile on his face as he raised his leg over Bella's beautiful one, his intent to smash that too clear on his face.

I fell next to him in my human form, the anger I felt was unprecedented. I wanted to rip apart his body leaving th pieces un-burnt so he could feel every bit of pain from the act for the rest of eternity! I didn't just want him to die I wanted the cold one to suffer excruciating pain for what he'd done to Rocky!

A feral roar ripped through my throat, the fury I was feeling making itself know through my baser instincts.

The cold one turned to look at me surprised. Surprised but not worried. Fool.

"Damon!" Bella screamed my name twice, or tried to, her voice was weak with pain. That fucker was going to pay for this, Wildcat should never sound weak. Never.

The cold one gave a lazy smile as I launched myself at him, fury guiding my instincts. In the last second he dropped next to Bella and I soared over him. I missed. Well I wouldn't miss again. People were scared of me for a reason, my name was known throughout the supernatural world for a reason. Damon Salvatore never lost, and he never left survivors.

I smelt the blood, I heard her scream and I could hear his teeth ripping into her neck. I let loose another roar and jumped. Ripping apart the fucker piece by piece, white hot anger, worry and pain rippled through me. My eyes were cold as they stared into the crimson eyes of the vampire, a smirk across my face as I slowly took his head off, vindication flowing through me as his scream of pain was cut short.

As soon as the disco ball was dismembered I blurred next to Bella.

"Bella!" I called to her, worried and pain wrecked my voice, her eyes were closed and her heart was weak. She had to be okay. She had to be.

"Damon! Don't let me turn into one of them! Please, not into one of them!" The questions that phrase posed would have to wait, would have to wait till I took care of the beautiful, fragile girl in front of me.

"Okay Isabella, okay. I'll help you sweetheart, you just stay still okay?" I asked, my voice betraying my worry. Still if her sparkly ex-boyfriend could do this with out killing her, the one who was addicted to her blood and fed like a shark, I was pretty sure that I could. Hell Damon Salvatore could do anything. I hoped.

I latched my teeth onto the bite mark round her neck and sucked in her blood. It tasted vile, I wanted nothing more than to spit it out but even as tainted as it was I couldn't bring myself to waste her life blood, so with a grimace I swallowed it down. And again, and again till her blood tasted sweet and potent. It was the best blood I'd ever drank.

I tore myself away from her throat with a groan, but I had complete control over my animal, I'd had five hundred years to perfect it after all.

Now would come the hard part.

~0~

B.P.O.V.

My eyes started fluttering as I slowly dragged myself awake. Damn, my head hurt. In fact every part of me hurt, my arms, my legs, my back. I felt like I had the worlds worse hangover after falling down every set of stairs I'd ever walked on.

I groaned before sitting slowly up. What the hell had happened last night? I couldn't remember anything. All I knew was that I needed some water and some aspirin desperately.

"Here." Damon said softly from next to me while passing me a glass of water and a pack of painkillers.

"Thanks." I responded groggily taking both in quick succession and hoping they'd kick in quickly.

I sat with my head in my hands for a few minutes wanting to cry for some reason, last night must have been damn good that's for sure. Hang on a second. Damon was here, being very nice to me, and speaking to me like he was upset about something. Where the hell was here as well?

I snapped my head up and looked around, I was in Damon's bed; again. I looked quickly down at myself and realised my clothes were torn and bloody, mucky with dirt as well.

"What happened?" I asked as I looked into Damon's blue eyes that for once were without humour.

"What do you remember?" He asked me softly.

"Nothing." I answered truthfully. I couldn't remember a damn thing. Last night was a total blank to me.

Damon got off of the bed and grabbed a shirt and some boxers from his closet before handing them to me. "Take these, have a shower and get changed, you'll feel better. Think while your doing it. It'll come to you." His voice was un-characteristically soft, his eyes held worry and hurt.

"S... Sure. Thanks?" I said taking the offered clothes and heading for the bathroom completely bemused. Something bad must have happened, I'd never seen him like this. Never. And I was starting to know the dark haired man pretty well. Or I thought so anyway.

As the hot water was pounding down hard on me I tried to remember last night. I was pretty sure that last night I sat watching crap tv with Jeremy and Alaric. Nothing odd about that, I cooked for everyone, did some homework, Jeremy showed me some of his sketches. Still nothing strange. I'd felt claustrophobic, I'd wanted some time alone, everytime I'd hole up in my room someone would come and check up on me every five minutes. I'd gone to sleep. Not even a trace of alcohol.

I stopped the shower and climbed out still confused as to how I'd gotten here and what had gone on.

I got changed trying to remember my day so far, maybe that would give me the answers that I wanted?

I'd got up early to go for a run, I wanted to get away, to be alone, to have some time with my thoughts, to work through some of my issues, make piece with some of my inner demons. I'd ran towards the school.

I was being watched, someone was waiting for me. I turned to run someone was behind me. I'd tried to ring Damon.

Laurent. He was waiting for me. He'd tortured me. He'd bit.

My legs stopped supporting me and I found myself sat on the floor my back against the counter. Tears started dripping down my face. For the first time since I'd been in the supernatural world I started freaking out. It was never going to stop, it was never going to end. Something was always going to come after me, I was never going to be left to enjoy my life, to have a normal life.

"Bella?" I heard Damon say from behind the bathroom door, it mildly surprised me in my fuggy brain that he was respecting my privacy.

"Give me a minute." I gasped out, trying desperately to control my tears, I wanted more than anything to stop this break down until I was alone. Not that I was ever alone. Oh god, this was so screwed up. My life was so screwed up. Fresh waves of tears gripped me.

The door burst open and Damon came in, eyeing me on the floor with pity in his eyes. "I thought I asked for a minute?" I managed to gasp out before my sobs overtook me again.

"And I gave you one." He replied before kneeling down and scooping me in his arms. I felt so safe there, so protected and cared for. That brought on a new round of tears.

Damon carried me to the bed and sat down on it, me still cradled in his arms, my tears staining his t-shirt.

"You're okay now. You're fine." He soothed me, his mouth pressed to the top of my head and his hand trailing a soothing pattern down my back.

"I'm not. And I'm not going to be. Damon this is so screwed up, if you hadn't come..." Again sobs stopped my speaking.

"But I did come. Bella I'll always come when you need me. I give you my word." He muttered into my hair, his hands still rubbing me gently, his voice soft and soothing, comforting, protecting.

"How am I not a vampire?" I asked after a few minutes, trying my hardest not to think about what he'd said, I couldn't. I'd wish for it.

"You didn't want to be one. Did you?"

"No. But he bit me, I should be one of them." I replied, not able to tear my head away from his muscled chest to look at my saviours face.

"I sucked the venom out." Damon replied as though it were that simple, and I guess for him it was.

"Thank you." I said quietly, my tears starting to slow. "I'm guessing you also had something to do with me not having broken ribs or a broken arm either right?" That one I'd worked out all on my very own.

"Right." Damon said.

After a few minutes I was finally able to stop crying and pull myself away from Damon's chest to look into his handsome face and his mesmerising eyes. "Thank you." I said with all the sincerity I had.

Damon said nothing, he just stared right back into my eyes, his head dipping lower, closer to my own. I knew what he was going to do and with every fibre of my being I wanted it. But I couldn't. He was in love with my best friend and I couldn't be hurt again. I couldn't.

"I can't. I'm sorry but I can't." I whispered as his lips were so close to my own I could almost taste them.

"You want to Rocky, I can hear you do." He whispered back, he was right, my heart was beating almost painfully hard in my chest with want and anticipation.

"I do." I admitted, even though I knew I shouldn't. But I just couldn't lie to Damon. "But I can't. I can't let myself be hurt again."

"I'm not gonna hurt you Isabella." His eyes got harder but his voice was still a gentle caress across my skin.

"Not on purpose but you will, and I can't... I know Damon, so I know that you will, you won't be able to help it."

"You know what?" He started pulling back from me, his voice beginning to match the cold look in his eyes, hands no longer caressing, still and hard against me instead of warm and comforting.

"I know you're in love with Elena." I said tearing my eyes from his, making sure that he couldn't see the pain that simple sentence caused me.

His harsh laugh shocked me, it was both full of amusement and devoid of it at the same time. How the hell did he do that?

"Let me guess, Elena told you that?" He asked me.

"Yeah?" Okay what was I not seeing here?

"I don't love Elena, Wildcat. Never have done. She's much too winey and serious for me. Smoking hot though. I don't love her, but I do love winding up my little brother and the thought of me in love with his girl sends his non-existent blood pressure soaring, I swear he's gonna be the first vampire to have an aneurysm. And I'm going to be the cause." Damon's trademark smirk was back in place, the serious man from seconds ago gone.

"So you pretended to be in love with her to piss Stefan off?" I asked, not entirely sure whether to believe him or not, I wanted to though, god did I want to.

"Yup." He chuckled, his hands moving on my back again. "I don't love her. I like someone else."

My heart sank again, of course he did, he was never going to be the right fit for me. "Who?" Why did I even care, what would that information do other than torment me even more? But like someone passing a horrible accident who can't keep themselves from looking even though they know it's going to give them nightmares, I needed to know. It would be worse driving myself crazy wondering who.

"The new girl in town. Though I'm not sure why, she's sarcastic, bitchy, has no sense of self preservation and she's also clumsy as hell. Hot though." Damon smiled as he looked back into my eyes. His lips coming closer once more. A wide smile ripped through my face as I realised he was talking about me. He liked me. And dear god did I like him. Despite the fact that he was an ass.

Just as our lips were about to touch a shout tore us apart from downstairs.

"Bella!"

"Crap." Damon and I said together before both sighing.

"I'll be back in a minute." Damon told me before rushing from the room at vampire speed. I got up and followed, I knew that I had to face this, it was my problem not Damon's after all.

~0~

Alaric's P.O.V.

I was furious. I just wasn't so sure with who. Everyone I thought.

First off there was Stefan. He'd waited till I woke up to tell me that there'd been a problem and that Damon had sorted it. And to add insult to injury it was only with reluctance that he told me what the problem was! That and he didn't even know if Bella was hurt, apparently Damon had stopped answering his phone. I swear to god if she was hurt on my watch there were two vampires who were going to straight to hell by my own hands.

Then there was Damon, who for some reason was supposed to be my friend, who hadn't told me squat. When your friends family is in mortal danger... Well that's the kind of thing you share!

Bella. Yeah, I was angry with her too, in fact I think she was the one I was most angry with! After all we've been through to make sure that she was safe and happy, she just decides to take a stroll on her own before the sun was really up? Girl had a death wish or something. I just hoped with every ounce of me that it wasn't a wish that had been granted.

I stormed into the ever open door of the Salvatore boarding house, my anger at an all time high. "Bella!" I screamed out, knowing that not only would she hear but also so would Damon. Fear shot through me as I had the thought that maybe only Damon would hear me. She had to be okay, she had to be.

"Ric! And to what do I owe this **pleasure**?" Damon's cocky voice rung out from the stairs. Relief swept through me, he had enough compassion not to have taunted me if the worst were to have happened.

"Stop playing with me Damon, where's Bella? Is she okay?" For once I wasn't calm, I wasn't collected and I wasn't joking. I was pissed and upset.

"She's **fine**." Damon said with an eye roll. "She's relaxing in **bed**." And an eyebrow raise raised my already high fury levels to a brand new level.

"If you've taken advantage of her Damon!" I warned meaning every word.

Damon was in front of me faster than I could blink, his face hard, his eyes holding anger that matched my own. "I haven't done anything **Ric**. In fact I **saved** Bella, maybe you should be thanking me instead of accusing me?" And there was that smirk again.

"I'll thank you when I see for myself that she's okay and that you haven't hurt her." I spat out. Just because he'd stopped one of those other vampires from killing her didn't mean he was a hero in all of this. Damon was never the hero.

"Uncle Alaric?" Bella said, having snuck down the stairs without either of us noticing, a far cry from the clumsy depressed girl who was given to me to look after.

"Bella." I breathed in relief before I turned to face her. She was stood awkwardly on the stairs in his shirt and nothing else. I saw red.

With a roar of anger I flew at Damon and punched him in the face as hard as I could. He staggered backwards under my assault. "I told you! I warned you!" I snarled, as much a monster as he was in that moment.

"I **didn't **hurt her! I saved her!" Damon shouted back.

"I told you not to take advantage of her!" I hit him again and watched in satisfaction as he stumbled backwards into the fireplace.

"I did not take advantage of her!" Damon roared pouncing at me.

"I'm your friend, your only friend! Stop lying to me Damon! She's stood there in your shirt after she's come down from your room! You took advantage of her!" I went to hit him once again, wanting nothing more than to hurt him, to make sure he paid for what he'd done to my innocent, naive niece!

My hand was stopped though, by Bella. She stood in front of Damon, her stance protective. She was protecting him, stopping me from getting to him. Shock racked through my body, and judging by the look on his face Damon was just as surprised. Maybe he hadn't been taking advantage after all.

"Stop!" Bella said, her breathing heavy, her pale features becoming paler, she wasn't fine. He hadn't protected her from everything, that vampire had hurt her, I could see it in her strained features.

"Bella, come on, this isn't your fight, this is between Ric and me. Go and relax back in my room." Damon wrapped an arm around her waist and tried to gently move her out of the way so she wouldn't get hurt. His voice and actions softer than I'd ever seen him. Though my stubborn niece wouldn't be moved.

"No! Ric, he hasn't done anything wrong, he helped me, he's taken care of me! All this it's my fault. Mine. If you're mad, be mad at me." She pleaded and I could see her getting weaker by the second. My stupid, innocent niece, she was always looking out for everyone but herself, sacrificing herself for someone else, anyone else. No matter who or what they were, she always saw the good in everyone.

"He knows Rocky, he's just upset and pissed. We won't fight anymore. Just go and relax. Please." What the fuck! Did the big bad Damon just say please?

I internally groaned as I realised what was going on here. Damon was falling for my niece. He was falling for Bella. Well that was one piece of crap news I could have done without.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

As Bella started swaying on her feet, becoming so pale that she looked like one of the cold ones Damon picked her gently up and ran her to his room. He laid her on his bed, making sure that she had water and some food there for when she wanted them, for now though the best thing she could do was sleep, get better. Because when she was well enough Damon was going to make sure that they had a long talk.

He couldn't believe that she'd stood up for him, tried to protect him. No-one had ever done that for him before, no-one. He didn't need protecting, he didn't need anyone to look out for him. But she had. This tiny little human girl had.

Damon knew he was screwed right then as he looked down at her sleeping features, as he monitored her regular breathing. He liked her, he'd admitted that to himself a while ago. But this was more. This was something that he didn't think he'd ever do again, something he thought that he was too damaged to do ever again. He was falling hard and fast in love with Bella. Totally screwed.

Alaric paced downstairs waiting for Damon to come back downstairs, he needed a few things. First off he needed to find out what had happened today, he was pretty sure that Damon had given Bella his blood, she was weak but otherwise unharmed, but his intuition was telling him something bad had happened out there this morning. Then, as much as he didn't want to do it, he needed to apologise to Damon. Bella was right, the only thing that he'd done today was look out for her. And as deep as she was in this mess she needed that, she needed Damon.

~0~

"Are you sure about this...?"

"I am, look if you don't want to be here, if any of you don't then it's fine go. But I'm not losing my sister. Not like this! I thought you of all people would be behind me on this Edward. Laurent is going to drain her! And that is our fault, we need to fix it!" Alice snapped, for once not the happy go lucky little pixie her family always saw.

Edward cringed at her harsh but truthful words. She was right this was their fault, his fault and he needed to fix it.

"So do you know where she is?" He asked his sister, hope, joy and pain making him wince slightly. He was going to see his Bella again. After all this time.

"Not yet, but I'm looking and surely it won't be too hard to find her in this tiny town, it's almost smaller than Fork's for gods sake." Alice was back to her usual happy persona as the Cullen family passed the sign that read 'welcome to Mystic Falls.'

~0~

**Hope you liked this chapter! I really want to hear what you think... :) next chapters almost finished, I think you may like it :D **

**Until next time, **

**Tamtiger x**


	16. Chapter 16

**Wow! The response that I got for that last chapter was freaking awesome! Seriously, a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to review, you all make my day! :)**

**I want to say another thank you to my beta ArabellaWhitlock, my beta. Without her encouragement and help you wouldn't be getting this chapter - she helped me so much! :)**

**I own nothing. **

Firework

Face To Face

I raised my groggy head from the soft moving pillow I was using and shielded my eyes from the sunlight. It burnt!

"You'll be a little sensitive to the light till my blood leaves your system." Damon told me as we walked. "You'll also be a bit stronger, a bit more emotional and probably able to hear better." He informed me while he lifted me into Alaric's car and set me down gently.

I groaned in protest as he pulled his arms away, he started chuckling at me. "Don't worry Wildcat, you'll have the chance to see me again real soon. I know you can't go without your daily Damon fix, after all I am awesome." His eye brows raised and the smirk was clear across his handsome face.

"I'm just complaining cause you're body fat is sooo comfy as a pillow." I replied with my own smirk as I rested my head against the soft leather of Ric's seats. God I was tired and I still ached.

Ric and Damon said a few words to each other before Ric climbed in and started driving us from Damon. It was pitiful but I almost ached to be away from him now, it was almost painful. Stupid over active hormones and stupid sexy vampires. In another part of my brain I was really hoping that Damon and Ric didn't stop being friends now just because of me. Their friendship was one that I didn't understand at all, but they both clearly needed it. And the best of all friendships were never understood by outside parties as far as I was concerned.

The drive back home was taken in tense silence, probably not helped by the fact that I was still sat in Damon's shirt and his boxers with my own clothes in a plastic bag at my feet. Though I was pretty sure that they had been ruined from my session with Laurent.

As soon as the car stopped outside the house Ric was round my side and helping me in to the house so fast it was almost supernatural. "Thanks." I muttered as he closed the front door behind us both.

"Bella! What happened? Are you okay?" Elena asked rushing forward. "Why the hell did you run off in the morning? Have you got a death wish or something?" She said as she put an arm under my shoulder and helped me to the couch. "And what are you wearing?" I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me at that, trust Bonnie, Caroline and Elena to worry about what I was wearing, I loved that, even in the midst of terror and madness they managed to keep things normal somehow.

"I think we all want to know why you thought you'd run off alone in the middle of the night!" Alaric glared at me.

"I wasn't running off." I said quietly, upset that I'd made everyone worry about me, that I'd pissed Ric off, especially when all they'd done is look after me and look out for me. Another worry started up, a deep seated fear that I wasn't sure that I'd ever get over; maybe they'd decide that I wasn't worth it, worth the trouble anymore, what if they wanted me gone? I don't know if I could do that anymore, if I could leave another life and another family behind.

"Then what were you doing?" Jenna asked me, seeming to be every bit as annoyed as Alaric was. But underneath that, in her eyes I could see concern and hurt.

"I just..." Deep sigh, big girl attitude, not a wall flower, have your own opinions and don't be scared of them. These things that I'd learnt to be, learnt to become, I channelled them so I could answer my family. "I just needed to be alone, to have time to think. So I went for an early morning job. I wasn't running away."

"An early morning run!" Alaric said with a snort letting me know just what he thought of that idea while running a hand through his hair.

"I know it was stupid..." I started saying.

"Well as long as she knows she was stupid! Alaric raised his voice, threw his arms up in the air and turned his back on me, anger strong in his voice.

"I needed some time to think, to be on my own Ric, I'm sorry I worried you guys, I really am." I said, my guilt making tears spring to my eyes. "But you've gotta understand my need for space, to be on my own for half an hour, surely." A tear broke through my barriers and slid down my cheek.

"Then why didn't you tell us?" Alaric asked me his voice sharp again. He took a deep breath and visibly tried to calm himself down. "I understand the need to just be on your own for a bit. And if you'd have come to me - to any of us - we'd have figured something out where you could have some time and still be safe. But you didn't, and look what happened."

Dread ran through me, he used the same disappointed voice that Charlie had, that Rene had, I knew what was coming, it had come before. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stood up, not looking up at anyone, my bare feet becoming more interesting than the angry faces of my family. "I'm sorry. I'll go pack." I whispered. Where would I go now though? Who would want me now? I supposed that legally I could be on my own, I could live on my own. And I did have money, maybe I could rent somewhere?

I was brought out of my musings by Jenna's hand gently taking my own and pulling me away from the family towards the kitchen.

"Take a seat." Jenna asked me in a firm voice as she let go of my hand. I did as was asked and finally looked up at the woman who'd been so motherly towards me.

"You have got to stop doing this Bella." Jenna said sounding annoyed and slightly hurt as she leant over the counter and looked at me.

"Doing what?" I asked in a small voice.

"Thinking that we're gonna ask you to leave. I'd no sooner ask you to go than I would Jeremy or Elena, so you screwed up? You're not the first one and I'm pretty sure you won't be the last. But no matter how much you piss us off, no matter how bad you do screw up, this is your home and we are your family. We're not going anywhere and neither are you." Jenna smiled kindly as tears once again sprung to my eyes. "Now go up to your room get changed and come back down for some dinner okay? Because I for one want to know all about that party that Caroline's roped you into planning with her."

I groaned slightly, but it was put on, Jenna was right, I did have a family here, I did have friends here and the one thing I always felt in Mystic Falls was loved and cared for. I wasn't going to have to leave, all I had to do was literally feel the love to know that. Corny but true.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

"Maybe you were wrong for once Ali, it happens occasionally." Edward said as they stood in the forest surrounding the house, not close enough to hear anything but close enough to see her. All the family could hear the hope in his voice, hope and sadness, hope and hurt, hope and despair.

"Wasn't it you who started the phrase 'don't bet against Alice' Edward? So why doubt me now?" The little pixie asked. She knew what she'd seen, she was also a little surprised that they were in time to stop it, surprised but releaved.

"That smells like Bella, looks like Bella, but she sure as hell ain't acting like Bella. Are we sure it's her?" Emmett asked with a grin while looking on at the girl who he considered to be his little sister.

"Emmett!" Esme scolded good-naturedly as her 'son' swore.

"Sorry mom." He grinned back.

"It's her. It's the life she should be living. I did the right thing. Look how happy she is." Edward said, his voice almost breaking with the sadness he felt.

No-one could argue with him as the family looked on at the girl who meant so much to them, who'd brought them together and then torn them apart. She was dancing in a room, surprisingly well, dragging a tall blonde girl from the bed to dance with her, her beautiful face open with a bright smile that seemed to lighten the room impossibly.

Together Bella and the blonde were dancing and laughing, dragging other people in with them as they came to the door and watched. A small dark brunette, a pretty petit red head and a tall dark man all joined the girl that the family loved, dancing round the room and singing with her.

Alice hands twisted at her temples, making her look more human than normal, she looked like a human with a bad headache. "I can't see her, my visions they've gone blank." Alice said, worry and pain in her voice.

Jasper put his arms round his wife, wanting to comfort her, but worried just the same. How had her visions just stopped? Over time vampires powers got stronger, not weaker, and he'd never heard of anyone losing their gifts. Never. Jasper had the unnerving feeling that this was something to do with Bella. Even now they were here, even though they'd do all they could Bella's future had disappeared.

Esme and Carlisle shared a worried look before walking closer to the street that Bella was in. They weren't sure whether this was her actual house or the blonde girls, Bella's potent scent was saturated across a few houses and the high school, this was just the first place that they'd found her. As they stepped closer everyone saw Bella stop in her tracks, her smile sliding off her face instantly before she rushed to the window. Her gaze shifting to where the Cullen's stood hidden by view.

"Can she see us?" Rosalie asked slightly worried but even more nervous. Surely the human couldn't see them, couldn't know that they were here?

"No, we're hidden." Edward replied, but took a step backwards anyway.

"Then why is she staring at us then?" Rose asked, acid in her worried voice.

"I don't know!" Edward snapped back.

Emmett looked from his wife to his brother and then to his little sister who was speaking to someone over her shoulder, her face twisted in worry. Emmett didn't know what was going on but he was pretty sure that Bella knew they were out there, even if she couldn't see them. She'd always been intuitive after all.

"Maybe we should just see if we can track Laurent's scent, see if he's been around here recently?" He suggested, he knew they'd think that he just was looking for a fight, let them. In reality he was wanting to give Bella some space, he wanted to make contact with her when she wasn't so on edge, rather than her knowing that they were spying on her, just like Edward had done back in the day.

~0~

B.P.O.V.

I was sat on my bed with Caroline, the radio playing softly in the background, talking about the upcoming party that I'd somehow gotten roped into planning.

We'd discussed and dissected my recent run-in with the sparkly vampire, and the fact that now I seemed a little more than human with Damon's blood running through my system. It had only been a few hours since I'd gotten back, a few hours since my almost kiss with the dark haired vamp, but the difference in me was astounding. For example, I could hear Jenna and Alaric downstairs talking seriously with the vampire in question who'd arrived only minutes ago, I could hear Jeremy and Bonnie in his room. I could see better and my twisted door-knob showed that I was impossibly stronger. Which was slightly annoying as now I had to fix it.

So now we were talking about the party that was happening in a few days time.

"What about balloons?" Caroline asked excitedly. "Everyone loves balloons!"

"I thought we were going for high school party, not pre-school party?" I asked with a grin.

Caroline thought about it for a second before smiling and nodding. "See! I knew we'd make a party planner out of you!" She giggled, I rolled my eyes at her but couldn't stop my own smile, if only Alice could see me now, she'd been so proud, I thought. It didn't hurt to think of the Cullen's at all now, Alaric had been right, the hole that they'd left had been filled with other things.

"I love this song!" I exclaimed as Ke$ha's Tik Tok came through my speakers.

I started dancing and singing along after turning up the volume, my voice out of tune and my dancing ridiculous but not caring. I grabbed Caroline and dragged her up with me. Spinning and giggling as we both sung along to the song.

_"Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack. _

_Cause when I leave for the night, I ain't coming back!" _

When I spun around in a crazed dance move, it was to see Bonnie and Jeremy stood in the open door to my room, smiles that looked almost incredulous on their faces. Still singing I bounded to the door and grabbed Bonnie's hand bringing her into the dance with me and Caroline.

Caroline jumped on to my bed before singing louder, Bonnie and I shimmying on the vast floor that I'd now found a use for; dance floor.

I could hear footsteps coming up the stairs and turned just in time to beckon Jenna in to join the fun.

Soon enough Damon joined us and my room was almost full as we all danced round each other laughing as we did. This was it, this was what I was meant for. Fun, laughter, friends and family. I could feel it. I knew it.

Alaric and Jeremy wouldn't be budged from their posts at the door, but they were both laughing with us anyway. Or at us. Either way they were enjoying the moment as well.

As the song ended and we all stopped dancing the next track on the radio came on. Queens Don't Stop Me Now. So the crazy inpromptue dancing continued along with the off key singing and almost manic laughing.

Or it did until I felt something.

Something tugged at the edges of my brain. I couldn't describe it exactly, it was almost like when my scar tingled but at the edge of my mind rather than on my arm. Something was outside. I could feel it, something was there.

I went to my window and stared out at the street, seeing nothing. But it was there I could feel it. In the forest over by the house opposite ours.

"Bella?" Caroline's voice pulled me out of my staring, but still I could feel it. "What's wrong?" Her voice came out breathless as she jumped off my bed and stood behind me.

"There's something in the woods. I think." I told her quietly, still staring intently at the spot as though the trees would suddenly part and show me what I was looking for.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked, his voice sharp as he also came to stand behind me.

"I can feel something out there. Like when my scar tingles, but it's almost like it's in my mind instead." I tried to explain as best as I could but it was difficult, telling someone else what you couldn't quite grasp yourself.

"What?" Bonnie asked sounding confused and a little freaked out. I was right there with her.

"I don't know, that's the best I can explain." I said, still staring at the spot as the feeling receded.

"Vampire Barbie, you're with me. Witchy, stay here. If anything comes that isn't us keep them out. Ric now might be the time to get out those weapons that you were saving for the rainy day." Damon said, no hint of joking in his voice, he at least was taking this seriously. Without another word him and Caroline left at vampire speed.

I spun away from the window to face the scared yet determined faces of my friends and family.

"Damon's right, I've been working on some weapons that might hold off a Cold One." Alaric said, his face the one he used during training; all business.

"Let's go break out the holy water and garlic then." Jenna said, trying to smile but the worry she was obviously feeling marred the effect slightly.

We started walking out of my room and downstairs together, keeping in a tight pack despite knowing it was of no use. If a cold one got in to the house there wasn't much we could do, even together. "Are you okay Bella?" Bonnie asked me quietly as we brought up the rear.

"Fine. Just more vampires after me. It must be Thursday." I tried to joke, but it fell flat. And also made me remember that I'd missed a full day of school. But in my defence I had been recovering from a vampire attack and finding out the guy I had serious feelings for somehow seemed to like me too. School was a minor detail in comparison.

We gathered in the family room as Ric started dragging a huge chest that normally stood next to the tv into the middle of the room. I'd always assumed that it held blankets or throws or something. I've never felt so glad to be wrong before.

"So for Bella we have some reinforced gloves that are made out of metal and vervain." Alaric said as he rooted through the box and chucked me a pair of very heavy gloves.

I looked down at them before putting one on. It felt weird. Like chain mail covered in hemp or something.

At my questioning glance Ric expanded for me. "I know how you like to punch things and these are made up so that you won't break your hand no matter how hard you punch, also we're pretty sure that vervain works on the cold ones." He said looking slightly shifty as he added that last part.

"Why?" I asked. "And who's we?"

"Damon and me. We've been experimenting. Trying to come up with something that would work against them that you could carry round." Ric explained before giving me a apologetic look. "Damon thinks that as vervain's uncomfortable for you it would work against a cold one."

"Why?" Jeremy asked, as he pulled out what looked like a grenade and examined it.

"We think the reason it's uncomfortable for Bella is the venom that was in her system. Venom from the cold one that first bit her." Ric said, but he didn't look happy to be sharing the news.

"So you think it stayed in me!?" I asked, more than freaked out. I didn't want anything to do with that kind of vampire, I didn't want any part of them running through me. The thought of it made me feel dirty and uncomfortable.

"Trace amounts Bella, that's all. And it's a good thing when you think about it." Ric said softly, still handing out other weapons to the rest of the gathered would be hunters.

"How? How is me being infected by one of _them _a good thing!?" Again I wasn't taking this very well.

"Because you can tell if someone not what they say they are. And now you can tell if somethings waiting for you apparently. They won't be able to sneak up on you or surprise you in anyway." Ric said, his voice and expression soft. "It makes you safer."

"What's this?" Bonnie asked after he handed her a short sword - see I had been paying attention during weapons class.

"Werewolf coated blade. It's a last resort and we're really not sure if it'll work. So try not to let them get too close." Alaric gave a kind smile as he said that. Bonnie just looked more freaked out and gave a shudder.

"Okay, so we're armed to the gills, we've got a witch and two vampires out there. Now what do we do?" Jenna asked projecting more calm than I thought any of us would be capable of in this situation, but then again it was starting to get routine.

"We wait." Jeremy answered.

So we waited in silence, all of us on high alert.

After what felt like hours, but was realistically only ten minutes the front door opened. Alaric rushed to the front and Bonnie started chanting under her breath, a language I'd never heard before.

"Wait stop! It's just Damon and Caroline!" I called stopping everyone in their tracks and making them turn to face me. "What?" I asked blankly.

"How do you know?" Jeremy asked as Damon and Caroline came to join us. In response I just shrugged. I didn't have a clue how I knew, I just did. It's like they were familiar to my head, or weren't seen as a danger or something. It was hard to explain even to myself, so I didn't try.

"Wow! It's like a Buffy convention in here!" Damon tried to joke, but his normal cocky voice was tinged with worry and anger. I had been right, something was out there.

"What was it?" I asked, ignoring him and skipping straight to the point.

"Gone by the time we got there." Damon said, his eyes hard, his expression dark and formidable, something that sent a shiver of desire running up my back and pooling in my stomach. Stupid hormones. "But you were right Rocky. There were cold ones out there. Seven of them if I'm right. And I'm **always** right."

"Well that's just great. What do we do now?" Jenna asked looking defeated.

"Nothing." Damon said.

"If you think that we're just going to let Bella be..." Jeremy started saying heatidly only to be cut off by Damon who looked furious.

"I never said anything. **You **Van Helsing Junior and your wanna slay brigade are going to sit nice, safe and cosy right **here**. The grown ups are going vampire hunting. I'm not going to let **anything** happen to Bella. So sit down and speak when your spoken to like a good boy. Okay?" Damon snapped, arrogance and anger making his eyes seem to spark as he spoke.

Jeremy sat back down on the sofa but clearly muttered "dick!" As he did. I had to agree, that was a dick move. But then he was Damon, what did we expect?

"Can you track them?" I asked pocketing my gloves and taking a couple of vervain grenades as well.

"What did I just say?" Damon bit out at me.

"And you expect me to start listening to you now?" I asked while raising my eyebrows. "If I go I can feel where they are, also they'll probably come to me if they can smell me right? So I should go." I tried logical reasoning. I should have know that logic wasn't going to work on a mythical creature.

"We're hunting vampires to keep you safe. What would be the point in that if we put you in the line of fire Isabella? Now do as Jeremy's doing and be a good girl, sit down and wait for us to come back." Damon scowled at me. Too bad I'd never found him scary.

"No! I'm not the weak little girl that I was when I came here, when they left me Damon! I'm not going to sit here while you go out and risk your life for me! I'm not worth it and I'm not going to have that! I'm coming and that's the end of it!" I argued back, crossing my arms at the end as though that would make a difference.

"You are **impossible**!" Damon groaned out but still looked angry. He stalked over to me before grabbing my arm and towing me out of the room and out onto the porch. Throwing a quick sentence over his shoulder as he did. "I'm just going to reason with the mental patient, I'll bring her back in a second." He said in a biting voice as Ric started coming after us.

Damon let go of my arm as we were stood on the porch. "You **need** to stop this low self-esteem self pity thing you've got going on. And you **need **to listen to me when I'm trying my best to stop you from being killed! I haven't finished yet!" Damon spat out as I opened my mouth to argue. "I think you're worth it! And I happen to be a brilliant judge in character. Plus I'm never wrong." He stepped closer to me and started speaking in a softer voice. "I don't want you getting hurt again. I won't let you be hurt again. Please just stay here, and stay safe"

Tension filled the small space between us as I also took a step towards the dark haired, blue eyed vampire as well. "I don't want you getting hurt. Not for me. I... It would... Hurt me, if you were hurt." I said trying to get my sentiment out, my words while heart felt not exactly articulate, but the pounding of my heart was so hard that it was making it difficult to speak.

"Please... Stay safe." Damon whispered his hand reaching up and cupping my cheek, his bright, icy blue eyes staring straight into my own. His lips coming ever closer.

I stood up on my tiptoes, wanting this moment to happen with every fibre of my being. Lips millimetres apart Damon stopped and looked once more into my eyes, as though searching for something. Whatever he was looking for he found. As his lips came softly down to my own.

The kiss was unlike any I'd ever had before. It was soft and tender, his lips warm and moving with my own. His hands cupped my face and hair, mine twisting on to his shoulders. Damon's slight stubble brushed roughly against my skin, as his lips tenderly parted mine, his tongue licking against my tongue. It was perfection.

Damon broke the kiss first. Which was the only way it would have broken, I could have kissed him all day. A gentle smile spread across his impossibly handsome face, one that I could feel mirrored on my own, plainer face.

I opened my mouth, but was cut off from speech as a new voice echoed across the street. One that stopped me dead.

"Bella?"

~0~

3rd Person .P.O.V.

He'd given Bella back to Ric who'd taken her home and went back inside his house. But now the house felt empty, his library felt empty, his bed was empty. Damon had given Bella back without the talk that he'd promised himself he'd have with her. The talk that would make her realise, that now, she was the only girl, no the only woman that he saw.

With a sigh he poured himself a glass of blood mixed with bourbon, he couldn't believe that she'd been pulling away from him because she thought he was in love with Elena. As if. Though it was fun to pretend. Or it had been, not anymore, nothing that would keep Bella away from him.

He managed to distract himself for three hours. Three pitiful hours before he couldn't take it anymore. Before he had to see her. He knew that meant going through aunt and uncle guard dog, but he didn't care. He'd battle an army for his wildcat. Which the way the vamps were coming right now would be what he had to do, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

Damon pulled up outside the Gilbert house twenty minutes later, feeling lighter already. He was getting frustrated with himself, he shouldn't be acting like this, he couldn't act like this. Not after the bitch. Not after that slut Katherine. He knew Bella was nothing like her, but she still had the power to hurt him, and he'd wait hundreds of years for her too. And that scared the crap out of him.

Damon knocked at the house before walking in, the door was locked here as rarely as it was at his own house.

Alaric and Jenna were stood deep in conversation in the kitchen. He was tempted to just bypass them altogether and go up to Bella's room, but he could hear her talking with Vampire Barbie. So with a sigh he dutifully walked into the kitchen.

"Damon." Ric said, his hostility towards his so called 'friend' not quite gone just yet. He realised that Damon had done nothing but good where it concerned his niece, and he also realised that Damon was falling in love with Bella, but he didn't like it. He wasn't sure if he'd ever like it. "What are you doing here?"

"Boredom mainly." Damon grinned at the two young guardians. "But also I came to make sure that Isabella was okay. I had to give her a lot of my blood." Damon still felt half drained even though he'd drank seven blood bags after Ric had taken his Wildcat.

"She's fine. Thanks for checking you can go now." Jenna said, her voice full of dislike just as it always was whenever she spoke to him.

"Yeah." Damon rolled his eyes, so wasn't going to happen.

"Are you sure that the cold one you killed was the only one out there?" Alaric now had the chance to ask what had been bugging him, what he and Jenna had been worrying about.

"No." Damon replied, his voice hard, that fact also bothered him, so far the vampires that had come had come in groups, this one though was alone. But he was also older - which was how he'd managed to stay alive for more than thirty seconds against Damon. "I didn't have time to check. If I'd checked then Bella would be half way through her transformation into a walking, talking, blood-lusting, disco-ball right now."

"He bit her! You didn't tell me he bit her! How is she not dead! Or one of them!" Ric asked, his temper jumping back up.

"Because I was too busy from trying to stop you from killing me, and then I was telling you about her broken bones. You didn't want to listen to **anymore** Ric, you didn't want to hear** anymore**." Damon was starting to get pissed, all he'd wanted was to come and see Bella, and now he was getting shit for it. Again.

"How is she not one?" Jenna asked, a softer edge to her voice now as she realised that maybe, just maybe Damon might not be so bad for the young danger magnet after all. She still thought he was a shit though.

"I sucked his venom out, just like fairy boy ex did." Damon told them, trying not to think about the disgusting taste and not make a face, something he failed in doing.

"Why?" Jenna asked, her voice questioning. His answer would make a decision for her once and for all.

"Because she asked me to. Because she didn't want to be one of them." Damon replied with total honesty and no bullshit for once, even he could see when he was walking a tight rope, and these were the people who could stop Bella from seeing him. While she was still living here anyway.

Jenna looked over the dark haired vampire for the millionth time, this time though she was seeing something different. Instead of the hard faced joker, the killer, the complete jerk who messed with peoples minds, who manipulated people and had lost his humanity... Instead of that she saw a young man who actually cared about someone but himself for a change. Bella was changing him, just as he was changing her. And it was for the better. She was prepared to give him a chance. Maybe.

Music distracted the small group from their deep thoughts, loud music coming from upstairs accompanied by terrible singing and lots of giggling.

The three adults shared a look of surprise and happiness before darting for the stairs together. Bella was quiet and shy, she kept to herself and rarely came out of her shell unless she was coaxed out, except when Damon was around anyway, though she'd been better since she came to Mystic Falls, anyone could see that. This new side of her they all had to see, and they were extremely happy to see it.

As they reached Bella's open bedroom door Damon's smile for once reached his eyes. There she was, dancing and singing as though she had no care in the world, as though her life was perfect. Her amazing body moving in time to the music, her long glossy brown hair whipping round her shoulders and a smile that shone in her eyes directed at him. He couldn't help himself. He had to join her. Had to be part of this memory. One that he'd never forget.

It was perfect. She was perfect as she danced with him, with her friends, with Jenna. As she sang so badly but not caring. As she lived.

The moment didn't last for long though as once more sparkly fuck-wits interrupted their lives. Only this time Bella could feel them with her mind. Damon was pretty sure that it had something to do with the extra venom that would be in her system after this morning. That was going to be a fun conversation. Especially considering how Bella felt about them.

Caroline was scared, in fact she was petrified as she followed Damon out into the woods surrounding Bella's street, but if she could do something to help, she would. Anything. "You know vampire killing and disposals not my strong suit." She said nervously as she blurred after Damon, his anger seemed to surround him as they moved.

"They're weak, you'll be fine." Damon brushed her off.

Damon roared in anger when he found the scent of seven different vampires, even with him Caroline and Stefan that it was going to be difficult to make sure that one didn't get by them. Didn't get to Bella. With that thought Damon started heading back for the girl, his stomach twisting with anger and dread. Why her? Just because she fell in love with the wrong person? Shit that was something anyone was capable of doing as he'd proved.

When they'd got back Bella had been as difficult as he'd expected her to be. Not caring about her own safety but his and Caroline's instead. Too caring, too trusting. It was going to get her killed, but he couldn't hate that about her, as much as he wanted to, that was one of the reasons he love... Liked her so much. Liked her.

He took her outside, away from her family to argue with her. Knowing while he did that it was pretty much useless. She wasn't going to listen. But it didn't mean he wouldn't try.

She terrified him, the way her doe eyes looked into his own with so much trust and so much innocence. It scared him more than anything else ever had. But it also intrigued him, and that was what made him take the step forward. That was what made him kiss her.

She was so soft, so soft and warm and eager. And it was just him that she wanted. All this. This was his. No-one else's. That little sigh, the tiny gasp, the way she herself pulled closer as their tongues caressed each other? All of that was for him.

It was the best kiss that he'd had in five hundred years. One that promised more and yet not enough. Never enough.

As Damon stepped away slightly from her he couldn't help but smile.

That is until a musically grating voice sounded from across the street. "Bella?"

~0~

**I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

**I know some of you are hating the fact that I brought the Cullens back - especially Edward. But I have to confess - I hate him! So don't worry...**

**Anyway I'd love to hear what you thought. **

**Tametiger x**


	17. Chapter 17

**The response I got for the last chapter was astounding and has got me up to 200 reviews! Thank you to everyone who made my day and sent me a review! **

**Thanks to bribes I'm giving you a second chapter this week. **

**While you read I'm going to be enjoying my cookies and naked Damon ;)**

**Huge thanks must go to my very quick beta ArabellaWhitlock :)**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Firework

Peppy

"Bella." That one word stopped me dead, that voice, that voice that I'd recognise anywhere. Why was he here, why now? Why when I'd started to get my life back together.

I turned shocked to see the boy who'd haunted my thoughts and my nightmares for a whole year. Who had destroyed me.

He was unchanged, of course he was. His eyes were still molten gold, his face still seemed to be chisled out of marble by the hands of gods themselves, his bronze hair was still artfully dishevelled. But instead of these things causing my heart to flutter, now they caused it to drop.

"Edward?" I asked surprised, what!? He was here? Why was he here, how was he here? Why now? So many questions were running through my mind right then, but most were marred by shock.

"What are you doing here?" My voice sounded like it was making an accusation out of the question.

"Edward? Your ex?" Damon asked me, his startling blue eyes turning into icy hard diamonds.

"That would be the one." I muttered back angrily, turning to gaze briefly at Damon as I did, Edward coming ever closer.

"I'm sorry... I just couldn't not see you..." Edward said, stopping at the bottom of the porch, his usually golden eyes starting to turn quickly to black. That wasn't going to be good.

"Well that's great, but you've managed just fine for the last year. Why are you in Mystic Falls? You normally hate the hot weather, right?" My voice was coming out as snarky as some of Damon's comments did.

"We came here looking for an old friend of ours. Maybe you remember him, Laurent?" So that's why they came, bet Alice had a vision, I wondered if they knew they were too late to save him? Obviously not or they wouldn't still be here? Right? "I couldn't stop myself from coming to see you while we were here my love."

My anger flared, my blood burnt, my vision turned a fiery, angry red. How dare he!

"Do _not_ call me that." I said in a low voice, almost a hiss, my words came out venomous in my fury. "I am not your love." I spat. A smirk almost gracing my face as I saw the jackass flinch, as I saw him take a minuscule step backwards. I wasn't coming across as such a weak, pitiful human anymore.

"I... I... I was hoping we could... Talk... Alone?" Edward asked looking between Damon and me, his face, his voice, hesitant, almost scared. I'm not going to lie, it did give me a vindictive pleasure to see and hear.

"No." Damon said, his voice harsh and clipped, his lips drawing back over his teeth in his instinctive fury.

"I was asking Bella." Edward snapped, his voice almost coming out harsh as well, but the hurt and worry from my verbal anger still present. "Can we talk?"

"Didn't you hear me? No." Damon sounded threatening now, his voice low, dangerous, and sexy too.

"Bella?" Edward asks cutting into my silence. "What does he speak for you?" He asked like the petulant child he really was.

"No. I've just been lucky enough to find someone who can read my mind." I said with a smirk that I just couldn't hold back, childish but I wanted to cut this boy just a little. I was rewarded with another visible flinch.

I heard the door opening behind us, turning to see Alaric stepping out with Jenna behind him. Their acting skills were pretty damn good as they look shocked and confused to see all three of us stood outside. Especially as I knew Caroline would have been telling them everything that was going on out here.

Alaric looked from Damon and I to Edward. His 'teacher' persona instantly plastered across his face. "Hi! I don't recognise you. You must be new to town. I'm Alaric, history teacher at Forks High, Bella's uncle and Damon's friend. I can see you've all been introduced." He said with an easy going smile spread across his face, but his eyes still held a hardness to them that was normally reserved for Damon whenever I was with him.

"Yes sir, me and my family were just passing through, looking around the town. It's a beautiful area. I'm Edward by the way." Edward said, instantly trying to butter up Alaric, but I could see right through him, and so could everyone else stood there.

"Thank you. So, how did you happen to meet Damon and Bella?" Alaric asked.

"I... Er..." Edward started looking really uncomfortable now.

"Uncle Ric, this is my ex boyfriend Edward." I told Alaric, not holding my anger back in my words. As though we'd rehearsed this Jenna and Ric whipped round to face Edward again, this time with their own fury and disgust clearly spread across their faces for him to see. God I loved my family.

I swear the moment was being better choreographed than a tv soap opera as just then the door opened once more, this time out stepped Caroline, Bonnie and Jeremy. All of them stepping out on to the now very crowed porch.

"Hey? What's going on?" Jeremy asked, looking at Ric and Jenna's furious faces. Had everyone been to acting classes or was the drama department at school just really freaking good?

"Bella, how about you make the introductions?" Jenna asked me, her fiery eyes never leaving Edward who should have been scorched where he stood right now. His face held a mixture of confusion, worry and hurt. I wondered what he had to be worried about? He thought he was invincible stood here, surely? It wasn't like he knew that Damon, Caroline and Bonnie could kill him in a second. Right?

"Sure."I replied to Jenna with a smile. I could see this was about to get more interesting. "This is Edward. Edward, this is my Uncle Ric and Aunt Jenna as you know. My cousin Jeremy. My friends Caroline and Bonnie. And Damon my..." I trailed off, what was he? My friend? Crush? Antagoniser? Best friend? How did I introduce the dark haired vampire?

Luckily Damon took care of that problem for me. "Boyfriend." He told Edward, his voice hard but his touch soft as he wrapped a gentle hand around my waist and pulled me carefully into his side.

I saw the gathered people on the porch all turn to look at Damon and me, but ignored them, the feeling of elation running through me the only thing I could concentrate on right now. Damon said he was my boyfriend! I mean sure he was my best friend, and sure I had deep, deep feelings for him. And the kiss, that kiss was mind blowing! But I didn't think that he'd want me like that! That he'd want me to be exclusively his and vice versa. I was seriously on cloud nine right at that moment.

"You're boyfriend?" Edward gasped out, sounding like he was in immense pain and dragging me out of my happy place.

"Yes. Boyfriend." I said while looking up at the man in question with a smile. His eyes though were still glued to Edward, shooting daggers at him which I'm guessing Damon was wishing weren't so metaphorical.

"Sorry was there something you wanted?" Ric asked Edward while I was making the googly eyes at Damon, my heart singing in my chest.

"I wanted... to speak with... Bella... for a moment." I heard Edward say, his voice as broken as my heart had been when he so cruelly dumped me and took his family with him. I tore my eyes away from Damon to watch this train wreck, it wasn't something I wanted to miss. I wanted to watch my payback.

Sure enough Edward looked as heart broken as he sounded, his now almost totally black eyes were down cast and had venom in them that looked as though it was close to shedding, impossible as that was. His stunning face was so distraught it looked as bad as a kids that had been told father christmas had been killed so christmas was cancelled forever now.

Ric nodded once, his face stern and angry, a look I rarely saw upon his usually carefree face. He turned on his foot and walked back into the house, no answer given.

I turned my head briefly to see what the rest of my family were doing during this really uncomfortable meeting.

Everyone else, including Jenna were stood around me, making a semi-circle behind me and Damon, they all had their arms crossed and were all glaring at the cold-one stood in front of them. The sight was enough to bring tears to my eyes. I was right where I belonged. Where my family and friends literally had my back during the worst moments of my life, stood behind me all the way, supporting me and helping me.

Alaric came back outside in record timing holding a jacket and pair of gloves out to me with a slight glint to his eyes.

Confused I took them. As soon as I'd got hold of the gloves though I understood and almost started laughing. Almost.

"Wrap up warm. It's cold out here." Ric told me shortly. "Don't be long, and we're just inside if you need us."

"Like hell..." Damon started to complain to Ric, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Damon, give them a minute." When Damon's face didn't change and he didn't move Ric sighed before saying softly. "Trust me." Damon thought about it for a second before nodding once. But anyone could see he wasn't happy with it. Especially me.

"Shout us if you need us Bella we'll be just inside the door." Caroline said quietly to me before glaring at Edward. "Jackass." She hissed just under her breath, knowing that he could hear her, even if he didn't know she knew that.

"Thanks Care." I said with a smile as she touched my shoulder supportively and headed back in to the house.

"Jerk." Jeremy muttered catching on fast. He also briefly placed a supportive hand on me before heading inside.

"Dick." Bonnie whispered before looking at me with intense sincerity. "I'm here if you need me B." She said with conviction before following Jer into the house. I just felt more and more love from these people, people I called family.

"We'll be here Bella. Don't be long okay." Jenna said her hand reaching out to squeeze my arm gently. She glared at Edward, but she didn't keep her voice down like the others. "If that jerk upsets you just shout." She said, her eyes not leaving my ex as she backed inside, Ric following her without words, he didn't need to, he said enough in his actions when he handed me my gloves and gave me the chance to prove myself.

Predictably the last person to leave my side was Damon.

"I'm not happy about this." Damon told me, his glare still on Edward.

"I'll be fine. I promise." I told him softly.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Wildcat." Damon said through clenched teeth.

"I'm not. I will be fine. Trust me. Please." I asked, he knew what I was asking.

For the first time since Edward had arrived Damon looked down at me. His eyes swept my face intensely, obviously looking for something. Whatever it was he must have found it because he sighed before nodding once. He pulled me into him and wrapped me in a hug. His arms making me feel safe and secure as usual, along adding a shiver of desire. "I'll let you fall." Damon breathed into my ear, so quietly that I knew even Edward wouldn't have heard it. I smiled softly at that, as usual Damon got me, he understood me.

He pulled back and placed a soft kiss on to my head. "Don't make me regret it Isabella." He said at a normal level before heading inside. He stopped at the door and turned to face Edward once more, obviously not able to help himself. "If you so much as make her lip quiver I'll end you myself." Damon said, his voice so even and so deadly that even I was half scared for a second, and the threat wasn't aimed at me. Edward looked like he would crap his pants if he was able to. Damon smirked, his cocky attitude back, before going inside and closing the door behind him.

Edward and I stood in silence for a few uncomfortable moments. He was just staring at me which made me feel more awkward so I put on my gloves and jacket, feeling more secure as I did.

"You seem to have made some good friends here lo... Bella." Edward started the conversation sounding hurt and broken. Which was more than he deserved.

"They're more like family." I said honestly before walking to the porch swing and taking a seat. "So what do you want?" My voice was monotone, letting him know just how much I didn't want to be here.

"Did you know I can't read any of their minds? Just like yours they are all silent to me. Why? Have you done something? Is it your doing?" Edward asked me, surprising me slightly. I didn't know why he couldn't hear them, and I was pretty sure it wasn't something I'd done... Bonnie. Got to love having a witch on your side. She surely cast a spell making their thoughts as private to read as my own.

"What can I say? I've finally found a group of like minded people?" I joked, my voice deadpan though. "Why are you here Edward?" I repeated myself. I was going to get the answer to that one sooner or later.

"I told you, we were looking for Laurent in the area... And I just couldn't resist coming to see you Bella. I've missed you so much." Edward said as he started moving up the steps of the porch towards me. "What I said... It was the blackest of blasphemous, I didn't mean it. Bella. I've never stopped loving you. I will love you for the rest of my existence..."

"I don't." I said quietly while looking him in the eyes, just so he realised that I meant what I'd said.

"You don't what?" His eyes were so dark, barely a hint of gold in them as he sat in a chair next to the swing, taking the sensible option and not sitting next to me.

"I don't love you anymore." I said bluntly.

"You don't...?" He sounded so broken, like he'd had his heart ripped from his stomach.

"Edward I haven't seen you in a year, I haven't heard from you in a year. You broke up with me and left me in the forest telling me that I wasn't good enough for you. You really think I've spent all this time still in love with you? Really?" My anger started seeping through into my voice now. "You tore my heart out when you left. When you're family left me. And now I'm finally whole again, now when the only emotion I have for you is annoyance and anger, now you're back in my life?" I took a deep breath. So many emotions running through me. Anger being the most prevalent, but I was also upset, confused, hurt and impatient. Impatient to get my answers and to get him the hell back out of my life.

"Edward, why are you here? Why now? And if you never stopped loving me then why did you stay away from me for a whole year? If I'd have had the choice like you had done, I wouldn't have spent anytime away from you." I didn't miss the way Edwards eyes got lighter on hearing this, the way his shoulders seem to have lost a load, I was quick to clarify for him though so there was no chance of any misunderstanding. "But now, now all I want is to never see you again for as long as I live. But I think before you go I deserve some sort of an answer."

After the way he'd made me feel, after all the insecurities and complexes his leaving had wrecked upon me I think I deserved payback rather than answers. However I'd settle, especially as seeing as if I tried to get payback then Damon would want in too. And his idea of it would probably involve dismemberment and a bonfire. Slight overkill.

"I thought you were better without us in your life. That we were too dangerous for you. You don't deserve to be surrounded by monsters my love. You deserve..." Edward trailed off as I stood up, my anger had reached it's peak. Or so I thought anyway.

"I told you NOT to call me that!" I said viciously. "I am not your fucking love."

"Bella!" Edward sounded scandalised. "You really shouldn't use language un befitting a lady. I'm sorry I upset you, but there's really no need for it." He pinched the bridge of his nose like he always use to do whenever I pissed him off.

I just started laughing. At his confused look I decided to expand for him. "I think if ever there's a need for swearing Edward, it would be now."

"You've changed." Edward said sounding surprised and slightly disappointed. "The Bella Swan that I knew would never curse like that. She wouldn't ever speak to me like that, she had more empathy and she wouldn't have wanted to hurt me like you're doing. And you're doing it so maliciously. I know I deserve it. But still... Its not you Bella."

Again a chuckle escaped me, I couldn't help it, it was either that or I'd resort to violence. I moved away from him slightly, in response he stood from his chair. Obviously he didn't enjoy me towering over him, well it was good that he now understood how I'd felt during our entire relationship.

"You don't know me anymore Edward. I'm not the Bella you knew anymore. I've been through way to much to come out the other side unscathed. The Bella you knew, that you love? She's dead. And I'm so freaking glad of that."

"How can you say that... I can't..."

"I can say it because it's true. Do you know why I never spoke to you like that before Edward? Because I was scared. Not because of what you are, if you had known me you would have know that I've never been scared of what you and you're family are, never. I was scared because I thought you'd leave me, scared because you made me feel stupid around you, scared that you'd laugh at me as you regularly did." I took a deep breath. This was good, I was sure of it, purging myself to the asshole who had made me feel all this shit. "I'm glad that I'm not the same person anymore, I'm stronger, I don't lie anymore, I don't have too, I can be whoever the hell I want to be and none of my family, none of my friends tell me I should be doing otherwise. They support me." I smiled thinking of Damon as I said that last bit. Of course the douche bag picked up on it.

"So you've moved on. He's a bit too old for you don't you think." I raised a sardonic eyebrow at that one. "Okay I see you're point. But he's not good for you. The way he spoke for you earlier, and you just went along with it. And he obviously has jealousy issues, as well as possessivness issues. He wasn't going to let you speak with me was he?"

"Don't be talking shit you don't know shit about Edward." I said swearing again as I knew now that it pissed him off. And anything that annoyed him was good with me. "Damon is my best friend. He let's me be me. He let's me fall but he picks me up." I said with another smile.

"I can see you think you've moved on. But Bella, a love like ours doesn't just disappear, deep down you love me. I know you do. I'm not giving up Bella. I'm not leaving until you realise that we are perfect together. That we are mates." Edward reached out and stroked my cheek saying that, his voice warm and caressing, his skin cold and hard.

I wasn't prepaired for my reaction to that, so I'm pretty sure that Edward wasn't either. My blood boiled, my vision turned red, black seeping in round the edges as rage, pure rage ran through me so fast and deep that it burnt hotter than his venom would have done.

With one gloved hand I batted his hand from my cheek, with the other I struck forward, hitting his face with my clenched fist.

On contact the skin where I'd hit started sizzling and burning before my eyes, a yelp of pain escaping him as my fist carried forward by my weight had him staggering backwards.

At least we knew the vervain gloves worked. Though I wasn't so sure how well they protected my hands. Adrenaline and anger still burnt through my veins, there was no way I'd feel any injury until it had worn off.

Edward looked at me, his eyes turning completely black, a low growl echoing through his chest, his black as night orbs jumping to my neck. To my jugular I though. Oh crap.

I took a step back towards the door, even more worried as Edward took a predatory step forward. "Don't." I said, not keeping my voice down or the fear out of it. Praying that someone was listening, they would be, surely.

~0~

Edward P.O.V.

We searched the quaint, picturesque town for a while, our speed making it easy to cover a large distance quickly.

"I'm worried about Bella. Maybe one of us should watch her house. Just in case?" Esme, ever the eternal mother voiced her worries that had been plaguing her ever since we left the vision that was my Isabella. She loved Bella like a mother loved a daughter, and it killed her to be away from my girl.

I knew it hurt most of my family to leave her like we had, even now, a year later. But we'd done the right thing. I knew that.

"I'll go." Emmett offered surprising me for once, I thought he'd rather be hunting down Laurent. Any chance for a fight and my brother was there.

Alice stiffened and I saw the thoughts running through her head. Emmett outside of Bella's house or her friends house -we still weren't sure whose- Bella outside of it with a man, sharing soft, intimate smiles as they stood encircled in each others arms. No mistaking it as a lovers embrace. My heart shattered on seeing that. She'd finally moved on. Just as I'd wanted her too.

Now I saw it though, I realised that I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let her find comfort in the arms of another when she was made for me. I'd been away from my mate for too long now. I needed her back.

"I'm going." I told my family, turning away and running back to the house. Back to my Isabella as Emmett, Rose and Jasper all opened their mouths to protest. I could hear in their thoughts that they thought me going was a bad idea. That I'd annoyed them by this decision, but Bella was my mate and ultimately it was up to me what to do with her.

I was in the forest outside the street where Isabella currently was within minutes. Slowing down as I reached the edge. I didn't want any of the humans to see me of course.

I stepped out on to the street, surprised and gladdened to find it was dark now, a factor I hadn't thought of or calculated before I stepped out. Thank god for small mercies. It seemed as even the sun was on my side on reaching my Isabella, in getting her back where she belonged. With me.

I looked across to the large family home as I started to walk further. My dead heart broke at what I saw.

My Bella was in the arms of the dark haired man who was dancing with her in the bedroom. They were sharing a gentle, yet passionate kiss that I could never give her. It would have been too dangerous. I was a vampire and she a mere human after all.

The way his hands wrapped round her waist possesively, the way she pulled herself closer to him. It stung. It burnt. It tore.

Through the sadness I felt anger. A deep burning anger. He was touching my mate. She was giving herself to another man. That shouldn't be happening. She was mine. She knew it. And so should everyone else. I had the urge to tear the human man away from Bella and rip out his heart, just as he was doing to me. Only this I wanted to do it with my bare hands. I wanted to feel his blood run down my hands and watch in satisfaction as the light went out in his eyes, watch as the spark left his body for daring to touch what was mine!

I started walking towards them, shouting out as I did. "Bella!" I was unable to stop myself, I need to get her away from that man. Even if she wasn't mine, which she certainly was, then this human man was too old physically for her, at least in his early twenties. And I could see that he was bad news, the kind of man that pathetically thought they were bad. This man didn't know bad, he didn't know dangerous. But he was about to meet him.

As I stepped closer to my love I felt the burn start to make its presence known in my throat, the burning hot fire that my singer gave me. The delicious scent hitting me, one that called to me like any other, for the first time in over a year the need was almost unbearable. But I could bare it, for Bella I'd bare anything. As long as she was with me. Which she would be once again. When I could speak to her, explain that I'd lied to her, as deplorable as that was, she'd understand, she'd forgive me. She always did.

I was surprised and shocked when she let that pitiful human speak for her. His eyes were glaring at me in-effectively. What could he do? To me? A vampire. He was nothing. Bella knew that, yet she still let him speak to me like that. She obviously didn't care very much for the man, otherwise she'd protect him. My heart started feeling lighter at the prospect that all wasn't lost.

Her aunt and uncle came out of the house, obviously on their way out. The strange thing was, I couldn't hear their thoughts. Their minds were as silent to me as my Isabella's was.

Now I tried listening I realised that the man's mind was also a blank to me. Nothing there.

Was Bella doing this? How could she? She was only human after all.

Her friends also came out of the house after that, her friends and her cousin. When Bella introduced me, they were unable to keep the disgust and anger they so obviously felt for me off of their faces, however they were able to keep it out of their minds, as they were also silent to me.

The pieces of my heart that were still shattered from seeing my Bella in the passionate embrace of another once more lurched and tore at the cavity where the whole thing had once been as Bella introduced the man, Damon, as her boyfriend. Her eyes shining with happiness as she did.

Her friends and family left us, along with the boyfriend eventually, his threat though for some reason felt very real, it chilled me and had fissions of real fear running up my spine, even though I knew he could do nothing against me. None of her friends, nor family could help but voicing their opinions of me as they left. But Isabella didn't need to worry about that, once she took me back we would leave, she wouldn't have to worry about what they thought as she would never have to see them again. She shouldn't be around people who used such vile language anyway.

I was stunned and saddened at the way Isabella spoke to me, at the insults and hurtful words she threw at me, she had every reason, but she shouldn't have done it.

As she spoke more, as she started uttering curse words herself I realised something. Bella had changed. She'd become hardened, hurtful, coarse. It was something she'd have to stop the second she took me back, which despite her words we both knew she would. How could she stop loving me? Our love was endless. It was eternal.

I admit, I should have relented to her requests not to call her 'love' but I couldn't help it, it was second nature to declare her as what she was to me for anyone to hear. However I didn't see what would be coming for me if I didn't give in to her demands.

I reached out to her, wanting to touch her, to dazzle her, to claim her once again as my own. My heart mended and sang in my chest as my skin touched her, silky smooth, flawless, delicate, porcerlain like skin. I was finally complete, I was finally whole. I was with Bella.

Her hand shot out faster than should have been possible, batting away my own hand from her skin. The fore she used was enough to move me without my consent. How had she done that? And without breaking a bone?

My thoughts were cut off as her fist connected with my skin.

The pain was instant and shocking. My skin felt like it was on fire, the force my Bella had used was once again almost inhuman, as impossible as that was. I ended up staggering backwards away from my love.

I stopped feeling the pain after a delicious scent hit me. Her blood.

It called to me. It sang at me.

I had to have it.

Only that would stop the raging inferno that had started in my throat. I need the blood. The blood that was rightfully mine.

My pray started talking to me. Taking a step backwards.

I stepped forward. The blood wouldn't get away from me. I wouldn't let it.

It was mine and I'd stop at nothing to taste it. The smell promised that my blood would be the sweetest tasting most luxurious thing I'd ever had. That it would soothe me for my eternal life. That it would sustain me forever more. I need it.

And nothing would get in my way.

~0~

**Okay so Edwards back. I know some of you don't like it. And I've been begged that I don't put Bella and Edward back together. I'm pretty sure that you can see that's not what's going to happen. And I'm pretty sure Damons going to have something to say next chapter ;)**

**I really hoped you enjoyed!**

**Tametiger x**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks again to everyone who's following and especially reviewing this chapter! All your reviews mean a huge amount to me! :) **

**As always I want to thank my amazing beta ArabellaWhitlock :)**

**I own nothing. **

Firework

To Protect

3rd Person P.O.V.

Bella's closest family and friends stood listening from behind the door, Caroline relaying the full conversation happening outside between the girl and the vampire for the non-super hearing endowed ones of the group. Bella was definitely making them proud. Especially Damon, there was a reason he had nicknamed her WildCat and she was certainly living up to it now.

It went against every instinct that both Alaric and Damon had to leave Bella outside on her own with a Cold One, especially one that lusted after her blood so much. Both men were on the same wave length, thinking how much they wanted to hurt the bastard stood out on the porch with the girl that they both cared so much about.

Alaric however knew that he had to give Bella a chance to prove herself. She needed that independence, and she needed that knowledge that they trusted her to make her own decisions, not have someone else make them for her. She'd had enough of that already in her short life time. That and she'd proven herself time and time again to Ric, proven that she could handle whatever life threw at her. That she was strong. Ric was going to make sure that although he watched out for her, that she carried on proving to herself just how strong she was.

Damon however thought no such thing, he knew his Wildcat was strong, everyone here did, as far as he was concerned she had nothing to prove. Leaving her alone with a sparkly fuckwit with no restraint was an unnecessary danger. Caroline had to keep restraining him from going out there and ripping the fucker apart.

They all heard it as Bella hit Edward, and inwardly every member of the group was cheering the girl on.

Damon though needed to go out there, he needed to stop the douche from retaliating, he needed to make sure she hadn't hurt herself like she did when she hit wolf boy.

He started making his way to the door once more, his anger burning brightly in his eyes for everyone to see. Caroline stepped in his way, Bonnie watching carefully, if Care couldn't keep Damon at bay then she would. Bella deserved this; some payback of her own.

"Let me out Caroline." Damon growled out, his voice as dark and dangerous as the furious expression on his face.

"No Damon. Bella needs to do this on her own. She'll be fine. She's got the vervain gloves, which obviously work, and she's handling herself out there. You need to calm down and let her do it." Caroline said in a serious tone that she hardly ever used.

"She's had time." Damon started saying with still the same anger.

"We're not going to interfear until she asks us to Damon. You know her better than to tell her what to do or take her choices from her. You wanna be like that jerk out there was?" Alaric asked the vampire without fear. He knew Damon wouldn't hesitate to snap all of their necks right now, but he also knew that the last thing the vampire wanted to do was hurt Bella, and that would surely make Bella hate him.

Over the groups arguing and attempts to restrain Damon they failed to hear Bella outside, who was trying to get to them, to gain their protection.

~0~

"Elena stay in the car!" Stefan barked out as they pulled up outside of the Gilbert house. They'd enjoyed the day together away from the drama of the supernatural as well as the regular teen drama that seemed to constantly surround them. Just being a normal couple for once. Now they were back and so was the drama it seemed. Elena groaned as Stefan shot out of the car just barely managing to move at human speed. Something was obviously really wrong. Yet again.

Elena craned her neck to see what was happening, looking to her house, a shiver of fear running through her. She hoped nothing bad had happened to any of her loved ones.

When Elena saw what was going on she got out of the car instantly and ran to help. "Bella!" She shouted out as she ran.

Bella was out on the porch alone with a Cold One, and it looked like it was trying to eat her, it towered over her as she was backing away, moving slowly, like a predator stalking it's prey. Elena saw Bella raising her gloved hands and hitting the Cold One in the face. She reached the bottom of the porch as the vampire let out a feral raw of pain and anger, Stefan flung himself in front of the Cold One and shouted for Bella to get into the house.

The door opened and Damon stepped out looking as wild as the Cold One did.

In a flash he was stood next to Bella taking her in his arms and moving her to the relative safety of home. Elena was surprised to see Damon being as gentle as he was, especially with that wild look on his face.

As soon as Bella was inside Bonnie stepped outside, her eyes flickering to Elena before taking in the three vampires on the porch. She needed to disable to Cold One who was trying to reach the house so desperately that Damon and Stefan were having a hard time holding him back despite being stronger.

Focusing, Bonnie sent Edward a magical migraine, watching in satisfaction as he stopped struggling and dropped to the floor howling in pain, his hands clutching at his head.

The problem was Bonnie was now running two spells side by side. As strong as the witch was she could feel the power she was using draining her, stripping her from the inside out. She could feel her own headache starting and the pressure forming that was sure to mean one of her nose bleeds would soon be making an appearance.

"Bonnie!" Elena gasped, she could see that the witch was starting to lose control, thick red blood started running steadily from her nose, and her body started shaking slightly.

"Get inside! Both of you!" Stefan shouted out to the two teenage girls, his teeth gritted as he held the Cold One down. He thought that his type of vampire were stronger? Maybe he was weaker because of his diet? If that were the case he'd have to seriously think about changing it. He couldn't be weak now, he had to protect the ones he cared about.

Now the bloodlust had started to abate slightly, Edwards quick mind was wondering about a myriad of things. How was Bella able to hurt him? That Bonnie girl was obviously a witch, she was casting some spell on him, to make his strength that of a human obviously, as well as giving him the worst pain since his transformation. And although he hated feeling weak by the hands of Bella's supposed boyfriend, he could be nothing but glad the witch had cast the spell on him; he didn't know what he'd have done if he had succeeded in hurting Bella as his basic instincts had wanted him too. That must also be the reason that his gift wasn't working on these people, Alice's as well. The witch.

Damon was beyond furious as the door shut behind Bonnie, he seized the Cold One by the neck and shoved him against the wall, his grip tightening so that his fingers were cutting into the stone like flesh of Edward's neck. Loathing and hate filling his voice as he spoke. "I told you what I would do if you hurt her or upset her." With that Damon pulled his fist back and sent a punch to Edwards face, the force used would have killed any normal man, but only managed to crack Edwards marble face, though Damon enjoyed the sound of pain escaping the dick. "I told you I would end you." A knee to Edwards stomach and Damon could hear the shattering there as well as the roar of pain that escaped once more.

Damon lifted his fist once more and went to deliver another punch, his fury so high that he wanted to keep inflicting pain with his hands for a while before tearing off pieces and burning them for hurting his Bella.

However Edward had other ideas, he pushed the man off of him, using the feeble amount of strength that a human had, thanks to the witch. He was both surprised and shocked when the dark haired man only stumbled slightly from the force. But his shock didn't last long, he needed to get away, back to the safety of his family, and they needed to have a long talk about this new threat surrounding Bella.

Edward was gone in a blink, or a blink to humans eyes anyway. Damon and Stefan saw him going as sure as they would have seen a cat stalking a pigeon in front of them.

Damon was still beyond furious, all he wanted to do was rip apart the dick who'd dared try to hurt his Isabella, every instinct in him demanded he go finish off the threat right then. And Damon always went with his instinct, which was how he'd managed to get himself in so much trouble before.

As the dark haired vampire moved to go after the sparkling fucker who had the stones to even think about hurting what was his, Stefan moved to stand in his way, the usual frown present on his forehead. Good thing he can't get wrinkles, otherwise his baby brother would look ninety before he knew it, Damon thought to himself, a little hypocritically as a deep scowl marred his own features.

Stefan stopped Damon who went to move passed him with one softly spoken word. "Bella." Two warring sides in Damon started up. First was the desire, no the need, to end the life of the dick who was going to drain Rocky, who'd caused her so much distress and pain even before today's actions. The second though was the impulse to make sure that his Klutz was okay, to check her over. The impulse grew in him till it became so strong that he had no option but to act on it.

"The next time any of us so much as puts eyes on him, he's dead." Damon commanded, Stefan only nodded in reply, knowing that no other response would satisfy his brother.

~0~

B.P.O.V.

I ignored the sting of pain in my hands as I fought against the people trying to hold me back from the door. I knew enough to know that I'd done some damage to them when I'd hit Edward, not just the first time but the second and third too. That didn't stop me from trying to push my way past Caroline though, despite knowing the fruitlessness my actions would bring.

"Bella they'll be fine calm down." Caroline sounded like she was begging me, but I didn't care. I needed to get back out there. I desperately needed to do this.

"They're going to get hurt because of me Caroline! I can't let that happen! Please!" I tried to reason as best as I could while my mind was going blank with terror.

Jeremy came up and wrapped his arms around me from behind, both restraining and comforting in equal measure. "They'll be fine. There's one of him and three of them B. They'll be fine." Jer's voice was calm and soothing, he spoke with a certainty that I didn't have.

"It's my fault they're out there Jer." I said, tears of frustration and terror jumping into my eyes.

The door opened and Jeremy slackened his arms from around me, I heard his breath of relief as Bonnie and Elena rushed through before slamming the door firmly shut behind them.

Bonnie had blood dripping steadily from her nose and was looking weak. My heart dropped, it was because of me, she was hurting because of me. Stefan and Damon were still out there, they could still be hurt.

I hugged Elena and then Bonnie, my own relief that they were fine burning away in my stomach along with my ever present worry and guilt.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked me seriously, as she pulled away from my embrace.

I brushed aside her question, I didn't matter, what mattered was my friends and family right now. "Are you?" I asked her, scanning over her quickly to make sure she didn't have a scratch. I didn't see one but I didn't expect to, Stefan would have made sure she was fine.

"I'm fine, what happened?" Elena asked me, but was distracted by Jenna who threw herself into a hug with the younger girl, her relief so strong I swear I could see it.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" I asked gently as she was still being held softly by Jeremy.

"I'm okay, I'm fine." She replied with a smile for me, but I could see the lie she was passing off.

Nodding my head as I knew she could be as stubborn as me I tensed myself ready. My two breakable friends were inside, they were safe. But Damon and Stefan weren't. They could be hurt. As everyone else was speaking amongst themselves, hugging and worrying I made my way quietly to the door. I had to stop this. I had to help the two brothers outside. It was my fault that Edward was here, so it was my job to stop him.

"Caroline!" Alaric said sharply as my hand rested on the door, ready to open it.

Caroline had me backed up the stairs and away from the door quicker than I could blink. That was new and different, no-one had ever made sure to watch over me before when other people were safe and well. But here was my Uncle, watching me, making sure I couldn't get hurt, even when it looked like the danger had mostly passed. There was Ric, knowing me and exactly what I would do if I thought someone I cared about was in danger, it would have been touching if it weren't so annoying.

"I need to know that they're okay." I whispered to Caroline.

"I'll tell you what's going on if you stop moving long enough!" Care berated me with an eye roll.

I was pretty sure that was the best I was going to get so I nodded.

A look of pure concentration spread over Caroline's face and she moved her head so that one ear was facing the doorway.

"He's gone they're coming in." Caroline said to me, letting me go as I moved to go around her.

"Thanks Care." I whispered as I moved down the stairs as quickly as I could without falling and giving myself a concussion.

Before I could reach the door it opened and in came the two vampires who had saved my life. Stefan was first through the door, his eyes instantly seeking out Elena, assessing her with his usual serious frown. He seemed fine, no injuries at all. I let out a sigh at that before my eyes focused on the other vampire who walked into the overcrowded hallway and shut the door behind him. My stomach was in anxious knots as I took him. He had no limp, no limbs missing, no bloodstains, nothing, he was fine. He was fine, I reassured myself.

Damon's icy blue eyes sought me out, raking over every inch of me to make sure that I was okay, the same way I had done with him. He moved sleekly through our gathered friends till he was stood towering over me and bringing with him the perfect sense of being safe and protected once more.

"Are you okay?" I asked my head leant back to look in his eyes, assessing whether he was in any pain or not. To make sure that my brief glance had the right conclusions, that he was in fact fine.

"Of course I am Rocky. You think that Doucheward out there could hurt me? Seriously?" Damon rolled his eyes at me.

"I was worried." I defended myself.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked me in a serious tone of voice that was so unusual to hear from the vampire.

"I'm fine." I said briefly before moving on. "What happened?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah, cause I'm just going to **buy** that your fine after you had a boxing match with a piece of stone. Right Rocky." Damon said with another eye roll at me. He pushed me through the throng and towards the living room, not stopping for anyone's questions as he moved me.

Everyone else moved through to the larger room with us, watching in silence as Damon sat me down on the sofa his eyes coming to rest on my gloved hands, that now I had stopped worrying were starting to throb and sting slightly.

Damon went to take the gloves off of my hands for me, his face and motions soft.

"Don't." I warned him. "They're covered in vervain." I went to remove them myself, despite the pain that shot through my hands at the slightest movement.

Damon watched my face as I started to remove the gloves myself, a frown appearing over his beautiful features once more. I held back the sudden urge I had to reach out and smooth his worried brow.

Damon placed his own hands around my wrists, stopping me from removing the gloves. His eyes stared into my own as he started pulling off the heavy metal things with his fingers. His face never once showed that he was in pain, instead his eyes remained locked with my own.

"Now let's see." Damon said lightly as he chucked the gloves away from us, he his face bent to inspect my hands. The sight was slightly worrying. And more so was the fact that even though I'd wrecked my hands they didn't hurt that much.

My knuckles were swollen and bloody, two of them looked as though they were in a completely different place to where they should be. Obviously broken.

"Yeah. You're fine alright Rocky. Nothing some pyshco therapy and surgery shouldn't fix anyway." Damon said sarcastically over the gasps of everyone surrounding us.

"It doesn't hurt that bad." I said in honesty. "I've had worse."

"Well that's all that matters then. Don't worry about the fact that your not gonna be able to feed yourself for a while, you've had** worse**." Damon was getting angry now, I could see it and hear it. I diffused the situation the only way you could with Damon, by making a joke out of it.

"At least this one isn't going to give me a magical scar. I've had enough of the Harry Potter jokes."

"Funny." Damon said back, the sarcasm still heavily present in his words.

"Thanks I like to think I'm hilarious." I quipped back, using his own words against him.

Damon looked at me, his eyes hard before his face changed. His eyes became blood red where the whites should be, dark protruding veins appeared around his thick lower lashes and his teeth elongated into two fierce looking fangs. The monster from myths was suddenly sat in front of me.

It was the first time I'd ever seen his 'vampire face' and the sight should be sending me screaming and running for the nearest bus away from town. But instead I still felt safe, still felt protected, and Damon looked as handsome to me as he always did.

Damon kept his eyes firmly on me for a few seconds, watching my reaction to him showing me his darker side for a minute. I don't know what he saw but the surprise the crossed his face showed me it wasn't what he was expecting.

Slowly, so as not to scare me I guessed, he brought his wrist up to his mouth and bit down, blood began running steadily down his chin. Despite my aversion to blood all I wanted to do was reach out and wipe it away, though I was breathing through my mouth so that I couldn't smell it.

"Drink Bella." Damon said, his voice so quiet that it was almost a whisper, his bloody wrist offered up to me.

Gently I wrapped my hands around his big wrist and brought it to my mouth. Everything in me was screaming at me not to drink, every bit of me but a tiny voice in the back of my head that urged me to do what Damon said, that he'd look after me, protect me, that he wouldn't hurt me and that it was for my own good.

I listened to that tiny voice, the same one that brought doubts to my mind when I'd been with Edward, the one that got louder when danger was round. I started drinking the blood, almost retching as the thick liquid glided down my throat. Although the texture was bile inducing the taste was surprisingly good; warm and sweet. It tasted almost like Damon smelt, like sunshine, danger and the oldest, finest whiskey.

"That is the... Grossest thing I've ever seen." Jenna blurted out as I finished taking Damon's blood, my hands feeling as good as new except for a slight ache that I now knew from experience would disappear once I'd slept well.

"That was the hottest thing I've ever seen." Caroline countered sounding awed.

Blushing furiously I broke away from Damon's wrist, staring down at my now fine hands instead of look at anyone.

"Better?" Damon asked, I could hear a gruffiness to his voice that I couldn't quiet place.

"Yes. Thanks." I mumbled, embarrassed that we just done something that felt so intimate in front of a room full of people. Because there was no denying that the blood drinking was intimate.

"What happened? Why was Bella left alone with a Cold One?" Elena asked, her eyes looking anywhere but at Damon and I.

"That was Edward." Jenna supplied.

"Your ex?" Stefan asked, his eyes snapping first to me then to his brother.

"The boy himself." I said.

~0~

We sat discussing what to do about Edward and his family for a very long time. Stefan and Damon were all for hunting Edward down and killing him before telling the rest of the Cullen's to take a hike. Surprisingly Ric and Caroline agreed with this option. Both were looking at me with anger and pity in their eyes as they voiced their opinions.

Jenna hoped that now Edward had almost killed me and saw that I had moved on that he would leave the area anyway.

Jeremy suggested that we take up battle positions because nothing in Mystic Falls was ever that simple. We killed him it would bite us in the ass, we left it we'd get bit in the ass. Bonnie quietly agreed, though I could see it worried her.

"What do you want to do Bella? What do you think that the Cullen's will do? This is your decision, no-one else's." Elena said softly to me, though her eyes were glued to Stefan's, she wouldn't look at me and I wasn't entirely sure why. It must be because she was annoyed with me, after all I was the reason that vampires were attacking twice in one day, the reason her and all of her loved ones were in danger. My stomach dropped at that realisation.

I thought seriously before speaking. "Edward will be ashamed of what he did. But I don't know what he'll do about it. I don't know him anymore. I don't think they'll attack at any rate but they might come and try to see me. Also they might just go off again with no warning. I don't know." I said honestly, once upon a time I'd have been able to say exactly what the vampires would have done, but it was obvious I hadn't known them as I thought I had, just as they didn't know me anymore.

"Just because they're not attacking doesn't mean we shouldn't. If they're dead it's then there's a few less fucked up shiny vampires to worry about." Caroline stated heatidly. I could hear anger in her voice, and as she looked at me I could see it was all for the way the Cullen's had treated me previously, my heart swelled with love and affection for one of my best friends. A true friend.

"I **never **thought I'd say this. But I **agree **with vampire Barbie." Damon said, his face still not having lost it's anger. He was now sat on the sofa next to me, his hands with mine firmly wrapped in his own. The contact though innocent sent electricity shooting through my hands and down my spine. Just like everytime he touched me.

"Look we're just going round in circles here. I say we leave it. If he turns up again then we deal." Jenna made her final opinion known.

"I agree." Jeremy and Elena said at the same time before sharing a quick but downcast smile between them.

"I think Jenna's right too." I said quietly, I didn't know what to think. The thought of Edward dead... Well it didn't bother me that much, all I felt for him now was a deep burning anger. An anger at the way he felt he could control me, the way he thought he knew what was best for me, the way he disregarded my opinion as though it meant nothing, the way... Well the list went on and on. "If he comes back, we'll deal with it as we need to."

"Wildcat, I'm telling you this only once." Damon started saying, his voice full of anger and a wildness I hadn't yet heard from him, his tone broking no argument. "If he so much as looks at you in the wrong way I'll dismember him, light a bonfire and start singing Cum-by-ya round his smoking corpse." No hint of a joke was in his words as he spat them out. I couldn't argue. All I could do was nod.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

A scream of terror and heartbreak jerked the sleeping residents of the Gilbert house awake. Everyone jumping out of their sleep instantly.

At the top of the hallway Ric, Jenna, Jeremy, Elena and Stefan all met, each carrying a weapon that would be enough to maim a Cold One. Stefan and Ric took the lead in rushing into Bella's room, both stopping in surprise at what they saw.

Damon was laid, fully clothed on Bella's bed with the quivering girl held tightly to his chest. He was shushing her while smoothing down her tangled, sweaty hair, his actions so gentle, his face arranged into a look of care and tenderness that seemed foreign to them both.

Ric although not overly happy seeing the vampire take care of his niece backed quietly out of the room, his eyes silently warning Damon as they locked onto the vampires. Damon's face hardened but he gave a barely decernable nod as he carried on soothing Bella, who had obviously just had another very bad nightmare.

As Stefan and Ric backed out of the room they shut the door lightly, turning to face the worried but ready family still poised in the hallway outside of the girls room.

"She's okay, it was a nightmare." Ric said in a whisper, not letting on what he'd seen for some reason even he couldn't explain. All he knew was that it didn't fill him with a happy, calm feeling to know that Damon was the one looking after Bella.

~0~

Damon sat in the corner of Bella's room, he had been here since she'd fallen asleep three hours ago. He couldn't bring himself to leave, worried that Edward would come back, while at the same time also hoping the stupid ass would as well.

Damon watched with a frown as a crease appeared on the ravishing woman in front of him's forehead. Her heart started beating wildly, she started tossing and turning, mumbling words that started getting clearer the longer she was in the state.

"No... No... Please... No Edward... No! Damon!... Help Damon!... Please!"

That was all it took before Damon was off the floor and on the bed, so fast that he hadn't even realised he'd done it.

He wrapped the beautiful, delicate girl in his arms, shushing her and cradling her, trying desperately to help her through her nightmare. "I've got you Rocky, I've got you, you're okay."

"Damon... Help Damon!" She muttered again, her voice getting louder, her heartbeat getting wilder, she wasn't calming as he'd hoped. His touch not reassuring her like he wanted it to. Though she'd stopped fighting, curling into him instead, her whimpers muffled by her face pressed firmly into his chest.

Bella took a shuddering breath and before Damon knew what was happening she let out a pain filled scream.

"Shit!" He jumped before trying to wake Bella as calming her obviously wasn't working. "C'mon Wildcat, it's okay I'm here. I'm here. Wake up Isabella. Wake up."

Bella woke with a jerk, a strangled cry coming from her as she did. "Damon?" She gasped looking up into his eyes, sweat was pouring off of her and she was shaking. That must have been one hell of a nightmare, he thought.

"I'm here Bella, it's okay I'm here. I won't let anything happen." Damon said in a soft whisper. He pulled the girl back into his chest and started stroking her hair again, relaxing slightly as she curled back up into him. Her whimpers dying down.

She had closed her eyes and started breathing easily once more as the door to her room opened. Ric and Stefan charging in like the heroes Saint Stefan thought he was. Both men stopped short and looked at the two curled up in bed in surprise. Damon raised an eyebrow at his brother but didn't stop soothing Bella as best as he could. She was all that mattered right now. Everything else could wait.

As they started backing out of the room Damon looked to Ric, seeing clearly the warning his friend was shooting him with his eyes. He understood. And he wouldn't do anything inappropriate or anything to hurt this wonderful girl in his arms. Slowly and shortly Damon nodded to let the other man know his understanding.

As the door shut Damon rested his head on Bella's. Despite everything that had happened today, he still hadn't had that talk he'd been promising himself with her. And now he needed to add somethings to the talk. Tomorrow was going to be interesting. That was for sure.

~0~

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I'm posting while at work (sneakily) so make my night and leave a review! :) **


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